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| Da Xiangguo Temple (The Temple of Chief
Minister) |
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The Temple of Chief Minster is located on Ziyou Road. It was set up
during the Northern Qi Dynasty and came into its prime phase during
the Northern Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty it was destroyed by
floods. Later, during the Shunzhi and Qianlong Periods in the Qing
Dynasty it was rebuilt several times. After the founding of the People's
Republic of China, there has been an all-round repair and maintaining
and now, it covers an area of thirty mu. The temple consists of the
Hall for the Heavenly Guardians, the Hall for the Great Hero, Octagonal
Shaped Glazed Hall and the Scripture Chambre.. The Octagonal Shaped
Glazed Hall consists of two parts--the outside corridor is 9.8 meters
high and the central pavilion stands 16.9 meters high.
In the pavilion, stands a Goddness of Mercy with numerous hands
and eyes which is over 7 meters high and is decorated with gold
on its surface. It was made from one gingko tree trunk in the Qinglong
Period of the Qing Dynasty. The Bell Pavilion is another attraction
of the temple, in which stands a huge Bell cast in 33rd year of
Qianlong's reign. The Bell is approximately 16.9 meters high and
weighs over 10 thousand jin. It is said that the sound of the bell
can travel the longest distance when it is struck on a frosty day.
Therefore, "Xiangguo Frost Bell" has been regarded as
one of the eight beautiful sceneries of Kaifeng. |
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