User:Jiang Xinyue

                                                               Architecture: Lingyin Temple

I. Introduction

Lingyin Temple (Chinese: 灵隐寺；Pinyin: Língyǐn Sì) is nestled at the southern foot of North Peak in Hangzhou’s Xihu District, Zhejiang Province, China. Founded in 326 AD during the Xianhe reign of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it covers approximately 87,000 square meters. As one of the Five Great Chan Monasteries in Chinese Buddhism, the temple is renowned for its poetic ambiance of “ancient temple hidden in deep mountains,” with North Peak as its backdrop and Feilai Peak (Peak Flown from Afar) directly facing it. Serving as a pivotal sacred site for Han Chinese Buddhism and a cultural landmark of Hangzhou, Lingyin Temple attracts millions of visitors and devotees annually (Pan Guiming, 2003, 45).

In 1983, it was designated a National Key Buddhist Temple, and in 2013, it was inscribed on the Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Heritage Sites. Its architectural complex, blending Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties’ styles, exemplifies the pinnacle of Jiangnan (South Yangtze) temple architecture (State Administration of Cultural Heritage, 2013).

II. Origin of the Name

The name “Lingyin” originates from the founding legend of Indian monk Hui Li. According to Lingyin Temple Annals, upon beholding the peak’s extraordinary beauty, Hui Li exclaimed, “This is a fragment of Vulture Peak from India. When did it fly here?It must be where immortals dwell.” Thus, “Ling” (灵, spiritual) and “Yin” (隐, hidden) formed the name.  (Spiritual Hermitage) (Hui Li, Eastern Jin Dynasty).

The legend of “Jiu Feng Fei Lai” (Flying Vulture Peak) lies at the core of the temple’s name, symbolizing the sacred transmission of Buddhism from India to China. During his southern inspection tour, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty bestowed the name “Yunlin Temple,” yet the folk tradition of “Lingyin Temple” persisted (Ding Bing, Wulin Fangxiang Zhi, Guangxu period, Qing Dynasty).

III. Historical Development

Lingyin Temple traces its roots to the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In 326 AD, Indian monk Hui Li established the temple, initially named “Juesheng Juechang” (Ultimate Enlightenment Ground). The Tang Dynasty marked its prosperity, with Monk Daobiao overseeing expansions and Bai Juyi, then Governor of Hangzhou, funding the Cold Spring Pavilion in front of the temple. The Wuyue Kingdom (10th century) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period saw its zenith: after Qian Liu’s imperial decree for reconstruction, it boasted 72 halls and over 3,000 monks (Wu Renchen, Annals of the Ten Kingdoms). Destroyed in warfare at the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt during Emperor Kangxi’s six visits to Hangzhou, who inscribed the “Yunlin Temple” plaque. Post-1949, it became a protected cultural site; closed during the Cultural Revolution, it reopened in 1970 under Premier Zhou Enlai’s approval (Hangzhou Annals, 1999).

IV. Architectural Structure

Lingyin Temple follows a five-axis layout along the mountain’s contour:

Tianwang Hall (Hall of Heavenly Kings), the first structure upon entering, houses Maitreya Buddha and the Four Heavenly Kings, displaying Emperor Kangxi’s inscribed “Yunlin Temple” plaque.

Daxiong Hall (Great Buddha Hall), the core building at 33.6 meters tall, enshrines a 24.8-meter camphorwood statue of Sakyamuni—China’s tallest extant indoor wooden Buddha.

Yaoshi Hall (Medicine Buddha Hall) features Bhaisajyaguru and his Twelve Divine Generals.

Cangjing Building(Scripture Repository)stores over 10,000 Buddhist texts, including the Dragon Collection and Qisha Tripitaka.

Huayan Hall (Avatamsaka Hall) at the summit honors Vairocana Buddha, symbolizing cosmic wisdom.

The temple’s unique combination of Song Dynasty column bases, Ming Dynasty brackets, and Qing Dynasty painted decorations perfectly embodies the Chan monastery layout of “deep halls and winding corridors” (Zhang Shiqing, Studies on Jiangnan Chan Monastery Architecture, 2010).

V. Cultural Significance

As a vital Linji School (Rinzai Zen) monastery, Lingyin Temple earns its status as a Chan ancestral court. Its artistic value is exceptional: Feilai Peak’s more than 470 Yuan Dynasty cliff carvings blend Han and Tibetan styles, while the temple preserves treasures like the Northern Song Lingyin Temple Stone Pagoda and Ming Dynasty Diamond Sutra on palm leaves (Lingyin Temple Official Website). Literary giants such as Bai Juyi and Su Shi left masterpieces like Record of the Cold Spring Pavilion and Visiting Lingyin Temple, enriching its humanistic heritage.

VI. Modern Role

Today, Lingyin Temple continues its religious functions, drawing over 100,000 devotees annually during Buddha’s Birthday and Water-Land Dharma Assemblies. To promote Chan culture, it established the Yunlin Academy for academic activities and fosters cross-cultural exchange through the “Chan Tea Unity” dialogue mechanism with Japanese and Korean monasteries (Shi Guangquan, Yunlin Monastic Discourses, 2018).

Terms and Expressions:

Five Great Chan Monasteries in Chinese Buddhism 禅宗五大名刹

Feilai Peak (Peak Flown from Afar) 飞来峰

Daxiong Hall (Great Buddha Hall) 大雄宝殿

Linji School 临济宗

Water-Land Dharma Assemblies 水陆法会

Chan ancestral court 禅宗祖庭

National Key Cultural Heritage Sites 全国重点文物保护单位

Questions：

1. Who founded Lingyin Temple and in which year?

2. What alternate name did Emperor Kangxi give the temple?

3. What is the height of the main Buddha statue in the Grand Hall?

4. Name two types of cultural relics preserved in Lingyin Temple.

5. During which dynasty did Lingyin Temple reach its zenith?

References：

[1]Ding, B. Records of Wulin streets[M]. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Ancient Books Press, 2002.

[2]National Cultural Heritage Administration. 7th batch of national key cultural relics protection units list[S]. Beijing: Cultural Relics Press, 2013.

[3]Hangzhou Lingyin Temple. Introduction to Lingyin Temple. Retrieved June 5, 2025, from https://www.lingyinsi.org

[4]Pan, G. Encyclopedia of Chinese Buddhism: History[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Classics Press, 2003.

[5]Venerable Guangquan. Words from Yunlin Monk[M]. Beijing: Religious Culture Press, 2018.

[6]Zhang, S. Architecture of Jiangnan Zen temples[M]. Nanjing: Southeast University Press, 2010.

                                                                     建筑：灵隐寺 

I. 介绍

灵隐寺（中文：灵隐寺；拼音：Língyǐn Sì）坐落于中国浙江省杭州市西湖区北高峰南麓，始建于东晋咸和元年（公元326年），占地面积约8.7万平方米。作为中国佛教禅宗五大名刹之一，寺院背倚北高峰，面朝飞来峰，以“深山藏古寺”的意境著称。灵隐寺既是汉传佛教的重要圣地，也是杭州的文化地标，每年吸引数百万游客与信众参访（潘桂明, 2003, 45）。

1983年，灵隐寺被列为全国重点佛教寺院；2013年入选第七批全国重点文物保护单位。其建筑群融合宋、明、清三代风格，堪称江南寺院建筑的典范（国家文物局, 2013）。

II. 名称由来

“灵隐”之名源于印度高僧慧理的开山典故。据《灵隐寺志》记载，慧理见此山峰奇秀，慨叹道：“此乃中天竺国灵鹫山一小岭，不知何代飞来？佛在世日，多为仙灵所隐”，遂以“灵隐”为名（释慧理, 东晋）。

“鹫峰飞来”的传说构成寺名核心，象征佛法自西土东传的神圣性。清康熙帝南巡时曾赐名“云林禅寺”，但民间仍沿袭“灵隐寺”之称（丁丙, 清光绪《武林坊巷志》）。

III. 历史沿革

灵隐寺的历史可追溯至东晋奠基时期。公元326年，印度僧人慧理创建寺院，初名“绝胜觉场”。唐代迎来兴盛期，僧人道标主持扩建，时任杭州刺史的白居易捐修寺前冷泉亭。五代十国时期的吴越国（10世纪）是寺院鼎盛阶段，钱镠敕令重建后，殿宇增至七十二座，僧众达三千余人（吴任臣, 《十国春秋》）。明末寺院毁于战火，清代康熙帝六次巡幸杭州，拨款重修并亲题“云林禅寺”匾额。近代以来，1949年后被列为文物保护单位；文革期间一度闭寺，1970年经周恩来总理批示修复开放（杭州市志, 1999）。

IV. 建筑结构

灵隐寺依山势形成五重轴线布局：自山门而入，天王殿首当其冲，供奉弥勒佛与四大天王，高悬康熙御书“云林禅寺”金匾；其后的大雄宝殿为核心建筑，高33.6米，内奉24.8米高的释迦牟尼樟木坐像，为中国现存最高室内木雕佛像；药师殿供奉药师佛及十二神将；藏经楼珍藏《龙藏》《碛砂藏》等佛经万余卷；最高处的华严殿供奉毗卢遮那佛，象征法界智慧。整座寺院以宋代柱础、明代斗拱、清代彩绘共存为特色，完美诠释“殿宇重深，廊庑环绕”的禅宗伽蓝格局（张十庆, 《江南禅寺建筑研究》, 2010）。

V. 文化意义

灵隐寺作为临济宗重要道场，被尊为禅宗祖庭。其艺术价值尤为突出：飞来峰的470余尊元代摩崖造像融合汉藏风格，寺内更藏有北宋《灵隐寺石塔》、明代《金刚经》贝叶经等珍品（杭州灵隐寺官网）。历代文人墨客如白居易、苏轼等在此留下《冷泉亭记》《游灵隐寺》等名篇，赋予寺院深厚的人文精神。

VI. 现代角色

当代灵隐寺延续宗教功能，每年佛诞日与水陆法会吸引逾十万信众。为弘扬禅文化，寺院设立“云林书院”开展学术活动，并与日韩寺院建立“禅茶一味”国际对话机制，促进跨文化交流（释光泉, 《云林僧语》, 2018）。

术语与表达：

禅宗五大名刹 Five Great Chan Monasteries in Chinese Buddhism

飞来峰 Feilai Peak (Peak Flown from Afar)

大雄宝殿 Daxiong Hall (Great Buddha Hall)

临济宗 Linji School

水陆法会 Water-Land Dharma Assemblies

禅宗祖庭 Chan ancestral court

全国重点文物保护单位National Key Cultural Heritage Sites

问题：

1. 灵隐寺的开山祖师是谁？建寺于何年？

2. 康熙帝为灵隐寺题写的别名是什么？

3. 大雄宝殿内供奉的佛像高度是多少？

4. 列举灵隐寺收藏的两类珍贵文物。

5. 灵隐寺在哪个朝代达到鼎盛？

参考文献：

[1]丁丙．武林坊巷志[M]．杭州：浙江古籍出版社，2002（影印本）．

[2]国家文物局．第七批全国重点文物保护单位名录[S]．北京：文物出版社，2013．

[3]杭州灵隐寺．灵隐寺简介．https://www.lingyinsi.org．

[4]潘桂明．中国佛教百科全书·历史卷[M]．上海：上海古籍出版社，2003．

[5]释光泉．云林僧语[M]．北京：宗教文化出版社，2018．

[6]张十庆．江南禅寺建筑研究[M]．南京：东南大学出版社，2010．