染雾湖北归元寺—英文导游词 篇一
Guanyuan Temple in Hubei Province
Welcome to Guanyuan Temple in Hubei Province! As one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China, Guanyuan Temple is a must-visit destination for both tourists and Buddhists.
Guanyuan Temple, also known as Guan Temple, is located in the southern part of Hubei Province, near the city of Jingzhou. It was first built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) and has a history of over 1,800 years. The temple was initially constructed to worship the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, and it has since become an important Buddhist pilgrimage site.
The temple covers an area of about 50,000 square meters and consists of several buildings and pavilions. The main hall, known as the Hall of Guanyin Bodhisattva, is the most important structure in the temple. It is believed that praying to Guanyin Bodhisattva in this hall can bring blessings and good fortune. The hall is decorated with exquisite wood carvings and colorful paintings, showcasing the superb craftsmanship of ancient Chinese artisans.
Another highlight of Guanyuan Temple is the Bell Tower, which houses a giant bronze bell. This bell is known as the "Bell of Guanyuan" and has a history of more than 1,000 years. It is said that when the bell rings, its sound can reach distant places and purify people's hearts.
Apart from its religious significance, Guanyuan Temple also offers beautiful natural scenery. The temple is surrounded by lush green mountains and clear streams, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll in the temple's garden and enjoy the serenity of nature.
In addition, Guanyuan Temple hosts various Buddhist ceremonies and cultural activities throughout the year. The most famous event is the Guanyin Festival, which is held on the 19th day of the second lunar month. During this festival, thousands of Buddhists gather at the temple to pay their respects to Guanyin Bodhisattva and pray for blessings.
Overall, a visit to Guanyuan Temple is not only an opportunity to explore ancient Chinese Buddhist culture but also a chance to experience the serenity of nature. Come and immerse yourself in the spiritual and peaceful ambiance of Guanyuan Temple.
Thank you for visiting Guanyuan Temple in Hubei Province. Enjoy your stay and have a wonderful journey!
湖北归元寺—英文导游词 篇二
Guanyuan Temple in Hubei Province - A Journey of Spiritual Enlightenment
Welcome to Guanyuan Temple in Hubei Province! As you enter this sacred Buddhist site, you will embark on a journey of spiritual enlightenment and discover the rich cultural heritage of China.
Guanyuan Temple, also known as Guan Temple, is located in the southern part of Hubei Province, near the city of Jingzhou. With a history of over 1,800 years, it is one of the oldest and most renowned Buddhist temples in China. The temple was built to honor Guanyin Bodhisattva, the embodiment of compassion and mercy in Buddhism.
As you step into the temple grounds, you will be greeted by the majestic Hall of Guanyin Bodhisattva. This magnificent structure is adorned with intricate wood carvings and vibrant paintings, showcasing the artistic brilliance of ancient Chinese craftsmen. Take a moment to admire the exquisite details and feel the serenity that permeates the air.
As you continue your journey through the temple, you will come across the Bell Tower, home to the legendary "Bell of Guanyuan." This ancient bronze bell, with a history of more than 1,000 years, is said to possess the power to purify one's mind and bring peace to the soul. Listen closely as the bell tolls, and let its resonating sound guide you towards inner tranquility.
Beyond its architectural splendor, Guanyuan Temple offers a sanctuary of natural beauty. Nestled amidst picturesque mountains and crystal-clear streams, the temple provides a serene environment for contemplation and self-reflection. Take a leisurely walk in the temple's garden, where blooming flowers and lush greenery create a harmonious atmosphere, inviting you to connect with nature.
Throughout the year, Guanyuan Temple hosts various Buddhist ceremonies and cultural events that showcase the vibrant traditions of Chinese Buddhism. Of particular significance is the Guanyin Festival, celebrated on the 19th day of the second lunar month. During this grand festival, devotees from far and wide gather at the temple, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with prayers, incense, and devotion.
As you leave Guanyuan Temple, take a moment to reflect on the profound spiritual journey you have experienced. May the teachings of Buddhism and the serenity of this sacred place resonate within you, guiding you towards a path of compassion, harmony, and enlightenment.
Thank you for visiting Guanyuan Temple in Hubei Province. May your journey be filled with blessings and spiritual fulfillment.
湖北归元寺—英文导游词 篇三
湖北归元寺—英文导游词
Guiyuan Temple
Chinese Buddhist temples are never single buildings. They always consist of a group buildings following a fundamental patter, which can, however, be modified. The main buildings and their symmetrically corresponding secondary buildings form inpidual groups and courtyards. The entire temple complex is spacious. The building inside the complex are usually single-storied and the main halls are sometimes decorated with a double roof. The towers, pavilions and halls can be multi-storied structures.
The Chinese temple complex has been subject to great structural changes throughout the centuries. But temple architects follow the basic principles of secular structures from the Tang Dynasty onwards. The complexes stand on a central axis, usually a north-south axis: east-west only as an exception. (Guiyuan Temple is just the very exception.) The main buildings are strung along this central axis, their broadest sides facing south or east.
The most important and most frequently presented building inside a Buddhist temple complex are the main entrance gate, the bell and drum towers, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Hall of the Buddha and a pagoda.
Buddhism is said to be founded in India in the 6th century BC by Siddatha Gautama (BC565 –BC486), the son of a nobleman and member of the Kshatriya caste near the present borders of India and Nepal. Buddhism advocates that all the people are created equal and turns against the caste system of Brahmanism, so it was popular with the common people.
It was said that Buddhism was spread to China in 2 BC. At the beginning, it was only regarded as a kind of witch. About 200 AD, Chinese version of Buddhist s criptures began to appear, and thus, Buddhist doctrines began to emerge with traditional Chinese religious thought. From 2nd century to late 6th century, translation and research of Buddhist sects with Chinese characteristics were becoming more and more popular and many temples were built, which reached its peak in Sui Dynasty (581AD-617AD) and Tang Dynasty (618-907). Some Buddhist sects with Chinese characteristics came into being. Buddhism exerts a great influence on Chinese philosophy, literature, art and folk customs.
What is presented before our eyes is a copper statue of a famous bodhisattva in Hynayana Buddhism. Bodhisattva is a tittle which is only next to Buddha. This statue is the image of Avalokitesvara, which has been popular with Chinese people or more than 1,000 years. She is called the Goddess of Mercy cordially by Chinese and is regarded as the symbol of kindness, mercy and benevolence. When we visit the Avalokitesvara Pavilion after a while, I will give a detailed introduction about her. This copper statue was sent to Guiyuan Temple by Taiwan Buddhists in September 1990. It shows that all Chinese, whether in the mainland or in Taiwan, are eager for the reunion of the country, even including religion believers.
The building we see now is the Buddha Hall where one certain Buddha and his two assistant bodhisattvases are worshiped. This Buddha is Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha means incomparable brightness. According to Buddhism, time and space is limitless and thus there are many many Buddhas in different spaces and times. But in a certain space or in a certain period of time, there is only one certain Buddha who is in charge of instructing all living creatures. Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha who presides over the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the west, which will come in the future. Buddhist s criptures describe the Land of Ultimate Bliss as a wonderland, in which no pain exists and the people enjoy their lives. In one word, it’s very attractive. Some people will think it must be very difficult to enter such a world. How can I go to such a paradise? Maybe I have to work hard and bear a lot of sufferings. In fact, it’s very easy to enter the world. He only need often murmur ‘May Buddha preserve us’ sincerely. It’s enough.
You see, the statue in the middle is the very Buddha. On his left is the Goddess of Mercy. On his right is the other bodhisattva who follows the Buddha. It is said that he can save all the living creatures from three kinds of terrible disasters.
Now, let’s step into the Buddhist s criptures Pavilion where the s criptures of Buddhism are kept. But I ‘m afraid what attracts our attention at the first sight must be this snow-white statue. It is a statue of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. This statue was carved out of a big piece of jade which is 2-meter-tall and weighs 3 tons. It was carved by Myanmar handicraftsmen and donated to the temple by the Rangoon Buddhists in 1935.
If we watch the statue, we may sense that the peaceful expression on the Buddha’s face has brought us to a quiet and harmonious state.
The last building we will visit is the Avalokitesvara Pavilion in the north yard. When we entered the yard just now we saw a statue of her. Now I’d like to introduce her carefully.
As a goddess, she swore that she would not become a Buddha until all the living creatures suffering from pains were saved. So she became a bodhisattva who is most popular among the people and attracts the most believers of all the gods and goddesses in Buddhism. It was said that one would be saved from trouble and disaster as long as he (she) chanted her name and if it was heard by her. Thus she is called Guanshiyin, which means ‘hearing or looking on the voices of the suffering’. Because of her kind heart and benevolence she got another title ‘the Goddess of Mercy’.
According to Buddhism, bodhisattvases have no distinction of sex, that is, they are neither male nor female, because they are immortals. But it’s very strange and interesting that most of bodhisattvases were engraved or carved in the images of various kinds of men in human society. Changes didn’t take place until an emperor’s mother thought it was inconvenient to worship a male bodhisattva in her bedroom. From then on, Guanshiyin, the bodhisattvas began to appear before her believers in the image of a beautiful and elegant lady.
We’ll pay a visit to a very serious, sacred place. Generally, the place is regarded as the most holy by Buddhists. It is the Grand Hall, where the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni is worshiped. It is always the center of a Buddhist temple in construction and in Buddhists’ mind.
The statue in the middle is Sakyamuni. According to Buddhism his mother gave birth to him in a garden. He belonged to Ksh
These two statue beside the Buddha are his two disciples. The one on the right was said to be Sakyamuni’s cousin and he had good memory so that he could remember all the Buddha told his disciples. The one on the left was said to be the lord of Brahmnism and he once was Sakyamuni’s tutor. But afterwards he was convinced by Buddhism after long-term debate between Buddhism and other religions and he accepted Sakyamuni as his tutor. Thus he became the eldest one of all Sakyamuni’s disciples.
Next, we’ll pay a visit to the Ahrat Hall in the south court.
The Ahrat Hall is an important structure in a Buddhist temple. But not all temples have an Ahrat Hall, especially, well-kept Ahrat Halls are very rare in China. This one is among them, and what’s more, it has its own unique characteristics.
Generally, an Ahrat Hall is a square building. The building is subpided into four small square courts so that the hall can get enough sunlight. This kind of structure show some lucky implies in Chinese Buddhist culture.
Another characteristic about the hall lies in these sculptures themselves. They were neither made up of wood, nor stone, nor clay. A special way was taken in making them, which could prevents them from being burned, being soaked or being eaten by insects. All the sculptures were floating in water while Wuhan was flooded in 1954, but, surprisingly, they were sound and safe after the flood had receded. It was really a wonder.
Ahrats are the immortals in Buddhism. But when you have a look around the sculptures, you may find from the expressions on their faces that they are so familiar to you. That’s only because they were molded on the basis of the people in the reality, so they are human beings in our daily life rather than immortals.
Ahrats are the symbols of harmony, happiness, and good luck, so the Wuhan natives have got used to counting ahrats since ancient time to pray for peace. There are a few ways of counting ahrats. We can count from the first ahrat from left to right or from right to left, when we just enter the hall. We can also choose any ahrat as our starting point, and count in the same way, left to right or right to left. We should base counting on our own ages whatever we take. For example, I’m 25, so I should stop in front of the 25th ahrat from the starting ahrat. The sculpture in front of which I stop is my lucky ahrat. My lucky ahrat will accompany me to spend a peaceful and lucky year. Wouldn’t you like to have a try now? If you need, I can explain connotation of some ahrats.
That’s all for the explanation to Guiyuan Temple. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. You will have another 30 minutes to have a look around the temple. If you have any problems, do let me know. I would like to repeat our bus number, A3074. Please don’t forget. See you later.
