Prajna Valley was built in February 2001. It was originally a quarry in the Ming Dynasty. The layout of the scenic spot is wonderful and the meaning is profound. It is a masterpiece of contemporary new scenic spots and has the reputation of ‘Dunhuang in the south of the Yangtze River’ and ‘underground Buddhist kingdom’. Prajna (bore) is a transliteration of Sanskrit, which means great wisdom. The scenic name ‘Prajna Valley’ was inscribed by He Jingzhi.
The white marble sutra pillar is 9 meters high, and the Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita is engraved on the pillar. In front of it, a waterfall falls from the sky with a drop of about 50 meters and is divided into seven levels. The number of ‘seven levels’ exactly matches the Buddhist saying ‘seven-level pagoda’. There is a statue of the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha in the scenic spot. Standing on a lotus flower, one finger pointing to the sky and the other pointing to the ground, it implies that ‘between heaven and earth, I am the only one who is respected’. The statue of Sakyamuni’s birth symbolizes the origin of Buddhism. On the right is the line carving pattern of Sakyamuni becoming a Buddha under the Bodhi tree. The statue of becoming a Buddha symbolizes the development of Buddhism in India. Walking up the steps, the rocks and cliffs imply the hardships of those who spread Buddhist culture to China through mountains and rivers. After passing the second-level waterfall and going down the steps, in front is a 12-meter-high and 25-meter-wide stone wall relief sculpture. The picture shows a large number of eminent monks and celebrities gathering in Shanzhong (now Xinchang) in the Southern Dynasties to study Buddhist Prajna. There are also allusions such as Tanguang opening mountains, Zhizhu’s remaining style, Prajna creating a sect, the holy traces of three lives, and the passing away of the wise. And the eighteen celebrities such as Wang Xizhi and Sun Chuo mentioned by Bai Juyi in ‘Records of Wozhou Mountain Zen Temple’ who traveled and stopped in Xinchang. This is a huge historical scroll of the Sinicization of Buddhism, indicating the foothold of Buddhism in China and also reflecting the status of Xinchang in the history of Buddhism. The waterfalls fall layer by layer,激起巨大的轰鸣声， implying that China’s traditional culture and Indian Buddhism have embraced Buddhism in the agitation and later become a major Chinese culture with far-reaching influence. There is a stone chamber in the middle of the tunnel called ‘Brilliant World’. In the middle are two Vairocana Buddhas. The four sides are mirrors, resplendent and magnificent. ‘Brilliant World’ indicates the flourishing of Buddhism in China. Out of the tunnel, facing is a 20-meter-high statue of Avalokitesvara with a carp head and Manjusri Bodhisattva. It is said that in the future, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva will also be carved around. The four Bodhisattvas symbolize the popularity of Buddhism in China.Opening hours: From May 1st to September 30th, it is open from 06:00 to 17:30; from October 1st to April 30th, it is open from 06:00 to 17:00.
