Located near Singing Sand Dunes, the historic Leiyin temple is the only working temple with this name in Northwest China. The front courtyards are the older, dating back to the 1980s, while the back part is being reconstructed on the model of the monastery portrayed in the Tang dynasty Pure Land mural of Cave 172 in the Mogao caves.
Visitors explore three courtyards each boasting a main hall and side buildings. The first courtyard’s Hall of the King of Heaven hosts a jolly fat gold Maitreya Buddha. Garish colored huge statues of the four big kings of heaven hulk in the side arches. The gate to the second courtyard, whose green tiled roof is appointed with eave decorations of dragons and small lions, leads to the Hall of Great Wisdom. Sakyamuni commands its centre and on his left and right are the Medicine Buddha and Amitabha. The north and south wall are embellished with copies of Mogao murals.
From the back of the second hall you emerge onto a Worship and Overview Platform,Which is the best place to vies the reconstructed Tang Monastery. Simply magnificent, the Tang monastery must be one of the best reconstructed ancient building complexes in China. All buildings are wood, which looks splendid but is a fire risk necessitating strict regulation about incense burning.
The bell tower and the drum tower, summon monks to pray in the morning and at night respectively. Framed by the two towers, the third palace at the back of the third courtyard is called the palace of light. In keeping with Tang architectural principles, no nails were used in its construction. The palace houses 24 gods to protect the Buddha.
About 30 monks work at the temple and 15 to 20 are in full time residence. If you visit at the right time, it is possible to join the monks for free vegetarian food.
Entrance to the temple is free. Breakfast is served at 5:30am, linch at 11:30am and dinner at 6pm.
Gallery
Attractions in the area
General Information
Alias: Thunder Temple
Loc: 4 km from city
Entrance: 0 RMB
Open Time: 8:00-21:00
Map
Relevant blogs
-
Endangered Przewalski's Horses Spotted at Dunhuang Yume
<p>In early February, a group of special "visitors"—the Przewalski's horses—appeared at the Dunhuang Yumen Pass scenic area in Gansu Province, a U
-
During the Spring Festival holiday, Dunhuang City achiev
The city's major tourist attractions were bustling with visitors who came to explore the ancient city, admire the desert landscapes, experience the Silk Road c
-
What is the connection between "dragons" and "snakes
In traditional Chinese culture, the snake has a dual identity of auspiciousness and danger. Ancient people believed that the snake not only possesses divine cha
-
Dunhuang fresh grapes were exported to Iraq for the fir
On January 6th, 42 tons of red table grapes, under the supervision of Dunhuang Airport Customs under Lanzhou Customs, set off from Shekou Port for Iraq. This is
-
The "Digital Dunhuang" resource library has attracted
The Dunhuang Academy's "Digital Dunhuang" resource library has been visited by 22 million people in more than 78 countries around the world. At the same time,
-
The delegation from Dunhuang attended the 6th China-Fran
<p>From January 12 to 14, the 6th China-France Cultural Forum, co-sponsored by the Western Returned Scholars Association and the French Foundation for Vision an
Tags
Silk Road China Tours -
Reliable travel agency based in Dunhuang, China. We focus on providing customized tours across Silk Road in China,on your own terms and with reasonable prices.
Contact Us
Gansu, China
Phone: 0086 - 18919428669 (24h)
Tel: 0086 - 937 - 8809499 (24h)
Email: Service@silkroadtourcn.com
2005 © All Rights Reserved. Privacy & Security | Terms & Conditions