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The Development and Origin of Pangu Temple, China

Origin and development

1. “Sanwuli Ji” records: Dayu and Bo benefited the people to control the water, and built a hall when excavating the Xihai River to commemorate Pangu.
2. “Yuan Shi, This Century, Shi Clan Seven” records: In the summer of the fifteenth year of Shizu, Yi Mao, Xiuhuichuan County “Pangu King Temple” worshipped it.
3. It was rebuilt in the fourth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, and then rebuilt by Liu Su, the magistrate of Chenghua in the first year of Chenghua (it collapsed after 20 years). In the 14th year of Hongzhi, the magistrate of Zhou Zhong, changed the small to the big, easy to use the stone, easy to apply mud and gold and iron, which took four years to complete.
4. In the 27th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the temple was destroyed by the river Bian, so it moved south to Hexi, and there is a legend that “Pangu’s tomb is in the water, and the sarcophagus is tied with iron locks”. But the newly built Pangu Temple has shrunk a lot.
5. Pangu was destroyed by fire in the fifth year of the Republic of China. The presiding monk Benxin Xinxin Ku-shaped (with two iron wires threaded between the bones of the heels, connected together with an iron chain to show his guilt and shackles), moved to Tianjin Zhaihua. After receiving alms from eight families including Ning Shifu, a giant of Jingu, it was rebuilt in the eighth year of the Republic of China, which lasted ten years. Not only is the hall much smaller than before, but due to insufficient funds, some processes have not been completed as expected.

On September 18, 1937, several Japanese troops occupied the top of the Pangu Temple, opened fire on the people, and then stationed the puppet army to establish a stronghold. In the autumn of 1946, the Qingxian people’s armed forces conquered the Pangu stronghold, and the entire Pangu Temple of Pangu was destroyed.

It can be said that it was “built in the war and destroyed by the war.”

In the autumn of 1987, the Pangu people spontaneously established the “Pangu Temple Preparatory Committee”. Borrowing a place from the villagers, the right is called “Pangu Temple”. In 1992, the Pangu Tomb was rebuilt and the Pangu Tombstone Pavilion was built. Repainted and refinished in 2005.

(After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the three halls of the Pangu Temple were demolished and the wood was used to build the county government theater. The remaining housing community became the office of the newly established Pangu People’s Commune. In 2008, during the process of widening the road, the remaining housing community was also replaced by Demolition.)
The modern Pangu Temple and before it was destroyed.

The modern Pangu can be briefly described with a poem:

Pangu Deep

Pool Wangjia Yanqing County Town People

Winding Road Gucun Ancient Temple Remnant, Lower Lintan Water is full of turbulent waves.

Tao was shocked to see the Tuo Cave, and the cliffs were looking for a mandarin duck beach.

The Momo Broken Monument crosses the grass bottom, and the old trees enter the clouds.

When the sun sets and the fishermen go, the bright moon and the bay are very cold.

The Pangu Temple in modern times is guarded by one or two villagers. When pilgrims enter the “Pangu” temple, the ancestor of all things, the first thing that catches the eye is the Pangu statue that “looks like it is like, even if it is warm”. After the worship, you can see the couplets on both sides of the shrine, namely, the upper couplet: 日(ri) 日日(zhao) crystal(jing) 日日日日(hua) facing the sky, underground couplets: 月(yue), friends(peng), 月月月(suo) 月月月月月 (luo) Ming Qiankun

This couplet was written by Dai Shaohui, a senior citizen of the city. Its meaning also begins with Pangu. According to legend, Pangu opened up chaos, and in order to make the universe bright forever, he set ten days and ten months in space, the sun was yang, and the moon was yin. The word “Chao” in the last couplet contains this meaning, let them take turns on duty, the sunrise is the day, the moon is the night, and the tenth is a round. At the time of Xia Zhongkang, the tenth day came together, the heat was unbearable, and the grass and trees were scorched.

At this time, there was a poor country (9) in the south of Dezhou, Shandong, and the king “Hou Yi” shot down nine suns and rescued the fiery Li people. This is the myth and legend of “Hou Yi shoots the sun”. The nine moons in the sky that have lost their husbands will naturally stay behind closed doors, and will no longer be embarrassed. Only one day, one month left.

Before the Pangu Temple was destroyed, the Pangu Temple before it was destroyed was like the three halls of the Forbidden City in Beijing, with stone, brick and wood structures, and the roof was capped with yellow glazed tiles. The front hall is Pangu Hall, also known as the main hall. It is built on a high platform made of bluestone, surrounded by white marble railings, covering an area of ​​​​one-third of a field, with eighteen steps, which is the saying of eighteen layers of hell.

The hall is three feet six feet high, symbolizing the Three hundred and sixty weeks of the sky, one hundred and eight rafters of the eaves, thirty-six sky gangs, and seventy-two ground rafters. Counted from the front, back, left and right sides of the temple, only twenty-eight rafters are rafters per day. Each rafter hangs a copper bell, which is placed according to the five sounds of craftsmanship, business, horn, zheng, and feather.

The yellow tiles on the top of the hall are known as “the light sprinkles on the top of the hall and the ground shines”. Animals such as colorful dragons, phoenixes, lions, and hippos are placed on the four oblique ridges. The four-cornered bucket cantilevered, if the young swallow is in the sky, it is like the Qiong Pavilion of the Tiangong falling into the mortal world, often showing a tendency to reverse.

In the hall, there is a sitting statue of Pangu, which is one zhang and eight inches in height (the saying that Pangu is 18,000 years old). It is made of iron and coated with gold. Long eyebrows and tiger eyes, clear white, long juxtaposition to the sea, big ears with wheels, looking at it like, looking carefully, it not only conveys the power of pioneers, but also shows the kindness of kindness. The chest is broad and can accommodate the world, and the breasts are rich and nourishing.

In addition, according to the “Republic of China”, in the thirty-sixth year of Emperor Kangxi, an imperial monument was erected for the Pangu Temple. Note above: The Ming iron cast gold-coated Pangu statue was built in the Hongzhi year for 470 years. Its shape and appearance are completely intact, and there is no rust inside.

The nave, also known as the reception hall. Blue bricks and blue tiles, simple and solemn. The front of the hall is enshrined: “Sakyamuni” affixed with gold clay statues, eighteen Arhats on both sides, the shape of the gods is full of fun, and the wall is painted with Yuyu Qiongge, if it is dark and appears in the clouds.

There is a wall behind the Buddha, and one hall is broken into two palaces. The back of the harem is shaped into a lotus basin on the north side. The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who purifies all living beings has replaced Nuwa who refines stones and repairs the sky. child.

The apse, also known as the “Three Religions Hall”. Blue brick and gray tile, simple and elegant. In the hall, Yu was changed to the Dragon King, Confucius and Laozi were added, Laojun was in the middle, the Dragon King on the left, and Confucius on the right.
The arrangement of the sacrifices in the three halls integrates religious culture and national culture, and reflects the original innocence.
In front of the Sanjiao Hall, there are two acacia trees, thick and thick.

During the flowering period, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and the new leaves are like green onions, and the day and night are closed. There is a bell hanging in the back of the hall, and the ancient locust trees are lush and leafy. On both sides of the three halls are towering pines and cypresses, which are occupied by a forest of steles. The meditation room, scripture room, and warehouse are also on the east side.

The Pangu Temple group occupies an area of ​​18 acres, surrounded by a red wall, nine feet high. Shanmen couplet:

(a) Pioneering the world, standing among the three talents. (below) To educate the world and the people, and to be the first to come out of all things.

The wall of the mountain gate is one zhang and eight chi high, and the picture of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea is painted on colorful porcelain, which is lifelike.

The Pangu Temple Fair is held twice a year, on the third day of March and the ninth day of September. During this period, good men and women, monasteries, monks and Taoists, merchants and tourists gathered here.

The reconstruction plan of Pangu Temple and the problems it faces. No matter how splendid the past was, in real life all that unfolds before people’s eyes is a ruin and a small temple consisting of separate rooms. This makes people feel sad and guilty. The voice of rebuilding the Pangu Temple and rebuilding the golden body for Pangu has been heard among the people.

What is gratifying is that with the efforts of all parties, the Qingxian People’s Government has passed the resolution of rebuilding the Pangu Temple and revitalizing the Pangu culture, “Guided by “Spiritual Investment” to Start the Economic Take-off of Qingxian County.
The blueprint for the reconstruction of Pangu.

The main project covers an area of ​​270 mu and is surrounded by a nine-foot red wall. The first is “Pangu Temple” (the specification before it was destroyed in modern times), followed by “Wa Palace”, “Yuwang Palace”, “Lingxiao Palace”, “Fengshen Pavilion”, “Taoyuan”, “Confucianism”, “Guanyin” Hall” and finally “Pangu Wenyuan”. And established “Tea Fragrance Studio”, “Wonderful Words Studio”, “Splashing

Ink Pavilion” and “Tai Shi Palace”.

The mountain gate adds a pair of couplets:

• the first couplet: All living beings have the origin, the origin of life, the origin of spirit, and the two become one.
• The next link: The source of all things begins with Si, the sky begins with Si, the earth begins with new, and it is divided into two.
• Rebuild the “Pangu Tomb”, dig the “Pangu Pool”, build a mountain of “Four Seasons Yangchun”, open a place for “walking in a secluded garden”, and hold the Pangu Temple Fair twice a year.

Tanaka Koei and Pangu Temple

In the autumn of 1940, according to reports, a Japanese officer went to the Pangu Temple to burn incense, and the guerrillas operating near the Pangu Temple received a notice to be captured alive. So the operation was launched, and everything went well, but when chasing the temple, an officer named Tanaka could not be found. It turned out that the iron image of Pangu was hollow, and Tanaka was spared by hiding in Pangu’s stomach.

Later, when Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka visited China in 1972, he proposed to Premier Zhou that he should go to the Pangu Temple in Qingxian County, Hebei Province to make a vow. After the death of Tanaka Koorei, his daughter inherited Tanaka’s last wish to rebuild the Pangu Temple.

In the 1990s, he made a huge sum of money to the Qingxian government to request the rebuilding of the Pangu Temple, but the Qingxian government misappropriated the money and finally only built it in the county seat. A Pangu Market (later renamed Qingxian Vegetable Wholesale Market) was established, and the construction of Pangu Temple has been put on hold.

When you mention this to the elders of Pangu Village, the elders of Pangu Village will be very happy to tell you about it, and speculate that the descendants of Tanaka Koorei will definitely help you when the Pangu Temple is officially built.