In front of the mountain gate of the Great Buddha Temple, there lies an extensive area which has been leveled and adorned with flowers and plants in recent years, resulting in the creation of the Buddha Heart Square, spanning over 5000 square meters. The square is primarily composed of an enlarged ‘Buddha’ character carved from the cliff, a handwriting of the master Hong Yi, and a massive ‘Heart’ character on the flat ground below the rock face. The vivid red ‘Buddha’ character stands at a height of 20 meters, towering and spectacular.
At the front of the square, there is an oval-shaped large screen wall, adjacent to which is a lotus pond with a diameter of 10 meters. Each petal of the lotus in the pond is meticulously crafted from white marble, with continuous flowing water symbolizing the long-standing Buddhist culture of Xinchang. In the heart of the square, there are several skillfully placed features, including a large screen wall bearing the calligraphy of the renowned calligrapher Zhu Guantian, inscribed with Meng Haoran’s poem ‘Shi Cheng Ti Yong’. There is also an ‘Ancient Well Pavilion’, a four-roofed flat-top pavilion with a藻井 opening to a skylight, showcasing an ingenious structure. Inside the pavilion, there is a square black stone well curb, originally from Chen’s well in the old county town, relocated here due to urban demolition. The pavilion features a couplet written by the calligrapher Guo Zhongxuan: ‘Maitreya’s grand posture manifests the treasure appearance in Shicheng, and the auspicious image of the Southern Dynasty wells up with spiritual springs.’ The opening hours are from May 1st to September 30th, 06:00 to 17:30; and from October 1st to April 30th, 06:00 to 17:00.Buddha Heart Square
In front of the mountain gate of the Great Buddha Temple, there lies an extensive area which has bee[...]
