Explanation of Nanguo Temple

Nanguo Temple is located in Nanshan, Tianshui City. It is surrounded by water, with secluded trees and beautiful scenery. One of the famous ancient "Eight Scenes of Qin Zhou", "Nanshan Cooper" is located in the temple, and there is also "Du Fu Ancestral Temple" in the temple. With a long history and profound cultural heritage, it is a paradise for literati in past dynasties and is known as the "First Temple in Longyou".

Because it is located in Nanshan, about seven miles away from the city center, the ancient book says that "three miles is the city and seven miles is the country", so it is called "Nanguo Temple". The "Southern Temple on the Mountain" in Du Fu's poems refers to the ancient temple behind him. In the Song Dynasty, it was called "Miaoshengyuan", and in the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong gave it the "Temple of Zen Forest Protecting the Country". This ancient temple has a long history. Some people think it was built in the late Spring and Autumn Period, some people think it was built in the early Sui and Tang Dynasties, and some people think it was built in the Northern Dynasty. Experts have different opinions, and there is no conclusion. The ancient temple in the south behind us, however, is like a monk who lives in seclusion in a mountain forest, keeping his mouth shut, watching the flowing clouds roll and relax in the flow of years, and bloom flowers fall. Next, follow my footsteps to appreciate the charm of this Millennium temple.

The whole Nanguo Temple consists of three mountain gates, namely, the West Courtyard, the Intermediate Court and the East Courtyard. Three courtyards, like three pearls, are interlocking and shining in the rolling dust of history.

Second, the West Campus

? 1. Tang Huai

The West Courtyard is the main courtyard of Nanguo Temple, including the Mountain Gate, Bell and Drum Tower, Heavenly King Hall, Ursa Major Hall, East and West Ancestral Hall, East and West Zen Forest Hall and Sleeping Buddha Hall. Now we are standing at the gate of the west courtyard. These two ancient pagodas are tall and upright, with lush foliage. They were planted in the Tang Dynasty more than 300 years ago/kloc-0. Just as Jingdezhen in Qin Qiong in the Tang Dynasty protected Emperor Taizong, these two ancient pagodas, one on the left and one on the right, are on both sides of the temple gate, like two door gods, who guard the ancient temple day and night. Regardless of the wind and rain, as steady as Mount Tai! Therefore, these two ancient trees are also called "Tang Huai" and "General Huai".

? 2. Tianwang Temple

Walking into the temple gate, you arrive at the front yard of the west courtyard. There are three rooms and two halls in the south, and the king's palace is spacious and magnificent. What you see is the three characters of "the first mountain" copied by Mi Fei in the Northern Song Dynasty, which are vigorous and magnificent. Smiling at everyone in the door is Maitreya. Look at his bare chest and breasts, laugh heartily and welcome tourists from all directions. Look at the couplet on this door again: "A big belly can accommodate you, and you can tolerate everything with others;" Open your mouth and laugh. Laugh and laugh. Now, put everything in a smile. "Look at this Buddha's answer, the tourists' troubles have turned into a passing cloud in an instant.

? 3. Du Fu Ancestral Temple

On both sides is the east-west Zen forest courtyard. Dongchan Forest Park is a sacred place in Du Shaoling, with statues of poet Du Fu and his two sons Wen Zong and Zong Wu. Xichanlin Park is now the reception and office of Nanguo Temple Park; There is a reclining Buddha hall next to the West Temple of Zen Forest, which is dedicated to a reclining Buddha with a Burmese jade body. There used to be a seven-level relic brick tower in the hospital, which has now collapsed.

Standing in front of this antique hanging flower door in the east, the plaque on the door reads the words "Du Shaoling Temple", which is vigorous and powerful, giving people a feeling of generosity and sadness. It was written by Zhang Tiao in Qing Dynasty. Go through this door and you will arrive at Du Fu's ancestral temple. The word "stone" on the gate of the West Temple was inscribed by Mr. Huo, a famous Chinese classical literature expert, poet, calligrapher and respected Tianshui celebrity. There are three people in the temple, and the poet Du Fu is slightly larger in the middle. Look at his chubby face, comfortable and quiet, which may be quite different from the image of a poet who cares about the country and the people. The two men on both sides are slightly smaller and stand opposite each other. They are Du Fu's two sons, Wen Zong and Zong Wu. The poet has been running around all his life and devoted himself to the people all over the world. Nowadays, it is prosperous and peaceful, and all the poor people in the world have lived in big houses. Now the father and son meet again in our Nanguo Temple, which has fulfilled the poet's wish before his death. Therefore, this statue presents rich and quiet colors.

You may ask: how can there be Adu House in this Buddhist land of Nanguo Temple? This is because our Nanguo Temple and Du Fu have a deep fate. In July 759, Du Fu resigned from his official position and took his wife and children to Qin Zhou to meet his nephew. However, due to frequent wars, my nephew did not know where to go. The poet stood on the street of Qin Zhou, without friends, and accidentally heard the bell of Nanguo Temple, so he came to Nanguo Temple and lived here. The poet's life in Qin Zhou is simple. Although he was helped by warm and generous friends from Qin Zhou, everyone had a hard time during the war. Poets are often hungry and cold, which can be said to be "hungry for food." In desperation, I had to dig herbs and pick up oak chestnuts to make a living. In this way, how many days of morning frost and dusk snow left a thin figure of the poet in the mountains of Qin Zhou, just like a glimpse of the desolate and declining back of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The poet only lived in Nanguo Temple for more than 83 days, but he left 1 17 miscellaneous poems for Qin Zhou, which added a lot of color to the magical beauty of Nanguo Temple, left a heavy spiritual wealth for Nanguo Temple and added massiness and charm to the culture of Nanguo Temple. Look at this pair of couplets written by Mao Xuan, a famous calligrapher written by Xie Weifeng, a poet in the Qing Dynasty, on the doorpost: "There is a full moon at the head, and there are many old holes in the autumn wind on the Shu Road", which is a true portrayal of the poet's bumpy life in that year.

Here, the "God" of Nanguo Temple is hidden!

4. Three Musts in the South China

Out of Du Fu's ancestral temple, turn from the southeast corner to Dawang Temple, and then go to the west courtyard, which is the main courtyard of Nanguo Temple. South Hall is the Hall of Heroes and the main hall of Nanguo Temple. This hall is magnificent, with blue tiles like scales. Buddha statues dedicated to clay sculpture Sakyamuni, pharmacist Buddha and Amitabha Buddha, as well as the Buddha statues of disciples of Ye Jia and Aga, Guanyin Bodhisattva and Megatrend Bodhisattva. The East Annex Hall is dedicated to a bronze statue of the hidden king of the Bodhisattva, the West Annex Hall is dedicated to a avalokitesvara bodhisattva with a jade body, and the Heavenly King Hall in the North Annex Hall is dedicated to the protector Wei Tuo and the four heavenly kings, facing the smiling Maitreya Buddha.

? Longguahuai

The layout of the Buddha statues in the temple here is roughly the same as that in other places, but what really surprises people is the trees in the yard, which is the essence of Nanguo Temple! Let's take a look at this kind of Sophora japonica in the north. There are many locust trees in China, but the crown is so big and the tree shape is so strange. There is only one tree in China. This tree was over 300 years ago. It is tall and dense, its branches flow in twists and turns, and it grows into a dragon shape, showing different landscapes. Standing under the tree and looking up, the branches in the west are sailing like black dragons, facing the east, facing the rising sun and facing our capital Beijing. This southern branch, like a stray deer, is bending its head to graze when it suddenly hears the sound of Sanskrit curling up and looks up to the south. The protruding deer head, facing the Hall of the Great Hero in the south, seems to be holding grass to worship Buddha, and seems to be listening to the voice of Buddha. The two branches in the east are like two strong giant pythons, towering and winding, melting into one and disappearing into the clouds. On this locust tree, all kinds of animals are different in shape, lifelike and amazing.

Euonymus winged

The tree lying on the roof in the northwest corner is Euonymus lanceolatus, also called "Ghost Arrow Feather". According to legend, this is a sacred tree specially planted in the temple to protect the ancient cypress in Nanshan. It was brought to Tianshui by a southern monk with saplings in bottles. Buxus macrophylla is a small shrub in the Yangtze River basin, which is common and less than three meters high, but it is very rare in the Yellow River basin, especially in the northwest. Strangely, however, this Euonymus japonicus has grown into a big tree in Nanguo Temple. Its branches are18m long and 78cm thick. It is truly a towering tree. We often say that a leopard cannot change his spots. This tree took root in Nanguo Temple from south to north and became a tree. This shows that Tianshui Tianhe is flooded, the land is fertile and the mountains and rivers are beautiful!

? Spring and autumn Cooper?

This ancient cypress in the middle of the yard is the "Nanshan ancient cypress", one of the eight scenic spots in ancient Qin Zhou. This ancient cypress is more than 2500 years old, so it is also called "Chunqiu Cooper". "Cooper" and "old tree" in Li Bai and Du Fu's poems refer to this "Nanshan Cooper". Tianshui has been built for more than 2,700 years, and this Cooper has been built for more than 2,500 years. For more than 2500 years, this ancient cypress has experienced wind and rain, silently witnessing the ups and downs of everything and the prosperity of Tianshui. This ancient cypress in Nanshan, together with the misty rain in wheat fields, the pure land of Songtao, the lanterns sent by immortals, Shimen jathyapple, Fuxi Guatai, Yuquan Xiandong and Zhuge Jun Base, is also called the "Eight Scenes of Qin Zhou" in ancient times.

This ancient cypress is now split into three and a half, like an orchid, scattered, seemingly three trees, but actually one. To the south, this dark cream skin is as dry as purple, the trunk is skinless, and the gullies are criss-crossed, extending at 45 degrees to the south, like a sword, obliquely stabbing in the air. The treetops are young, leafy and lush, like a flying crane. We often say that "people live by their faces, while trees live by their skins". This kind of Cooper lives without peeling, and is called "living fossil and living national treasure" by experts. This is a miracle. Look at this branch in the west, it has dried up long ago, leaving only the trunk, such as the backbone of the Chinese nation. Although weathered by the wind and the sun, it does not rot. This is the "second miracle". We'll turn this way again. The north branch is split in two, the west branch is broken, and the east branch is still green and full of vitality.

It is said that this ancient cypress in Nanshan is separated from the north and south, forming a spectacle of one tree and three views, which is related to Qin Qiong's respect for virtue. When Li Shimin was on the Western Expedition, he saw beautiful scenery and outstanding people here, so he put his horse in Nanshan and stayed there for three days. Qin Qiong Jingde II will use his spare time to prance on Nanshan Mountain. They tied their horses to the north and south branches of this ancient cypress and went for a walk. The two men were so excited that they just wandered around the scenery and forgot two horses. Two horses are battle-hardened and strong-willed. Seeing that their master neglected them so much, they suddenly let out a long hiss and walked to both sides. As soon as their front feet were lifted, the sky would collapse. Cooper's branch split in two, and two horses broke their reins and left. Wei Chijingde's black mare ran all the way to the east, running forty miles in one breath, and was very thirsty. He struggled to scratch on the ground with his feet, mud splashed and loess gushed out, forming a spring water, which is today's North Road Ma Paoquan Park. Perhaps Qin Qiong Jingde felt guilty when he saw that the horse destroyed Cooper. After his death, he became a pagoda tree at the entrance of the temple, faithfully guarding the peace of the ancient temple for thousands of years. This is the "three musts".

After more than 2,500 years, the ancient cypress in Nanshan has not fallen or withered. The reason why its charm still exists is not only the unique soil and water cultivation in Tianshui, but also the protection of ancient trees. Cooper's protection comes from artificial protection and natural protection.

Look at artificial protection first. The first protection was at the end of the Warring States period, when Qin ruled Tianshui generation. According to Records of the First Emperor, Qin people were brave and hardworking, burning books and burying Confucianism, but they kept the fine tradition of planting trees, so this ancient tree was protected by law and preserved. According to local records, the second time was in the Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty (1658). At that time, the north branch was already in the trend of dumping. People set up a monument under the tree, which not only supports the tree, but also records the future, killing two birds with one stone. The inscription records a major earthquake and the restoration of Nanguo Temple after the earthquake. More than 300 years have passed, the tree has grown more than 20 centimeters, and the stone tablet has been wrapped in the tree. Trees and stones are connected as a whole, and trees and stones complement each other harmoniously, forming a spectacle of "trees wrapped in stones", which is not only another landscape of Cooper, but also a witness of history. This is the "four wonders" of Nanshan Cooper; The second reinforcement protection was in the early 1950s. The local government allocated funds to repair the brick column, which leaned against the parts where the branches were concentrated. Now this brick column has been demolished. The third time was in the 1980s, when the tree was supported by angle steel welded brackets. The fourth time is the simulation tree we see now, which is both practical and beautiful. 24 steel bars are dug 8 meters, which can bear 50 tons and have a strange shape. From stones to bricks to steel frames, and now to simulated trees, four different substances represent the styles and spirits of four different eras, which just reflects the development and progress of society.

What is even more amazing is the protection of this ancient tree by nature. Look at the locust tree under the north oblique branch. Compared with Cooper, this locust tree is younger, but it is 300 years old. According to the current position of Sophora japonica, later generations speculated that the growers did not intend to use Sophora japonica as Cooper's backer, but left it with the direction and space for westward development. The Sophora japonica obviously does not grow according to the growth law of plants, but ranks under the branches of Cooper. Surprisingly, this locust tree, which lives under the branches of Cooper, is surrounded by forks, and its branches strongly support the position where Cooper needs help most. This locust tree has the spirit of "Lei Feng" to help others, and now Tianshui locals call it "Lei Feng Tree". These are the "five wonders". What's even more amazing is that in the cracked root of this ancient cypress, a dense and lush lobular forest naturally grows in the middle. Roots tightly wrapped around the roots of Cooper, accompanied by Cooper. We know that if the roots of plants are intertwined, they will rob each other of nutrients. However, this small leaf park not only failed to rob, but also continuously transported nutrients to the old trees. More coincidentally, the root of this lobular tree just pressed Cooper's root, so it didn't turn around. This is the "Six Wonders". This pagoda tree and lobular park stand silently one by one, inheriting the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation-filial piety with their own posture, setting an example for the world and making people respect.

Trees have the harmony of music and the brilliance of painting. These trees are solidified poems and dynamic paintings. Ancient trees are living history. These three ancient trees are very rare in China. They tell the world the magical beauty of Tianshui with their own gestures. These three trees are called "Three Wonders of the South China". Maijishan is called "Oriental Sculpture Exhibition Hall", and Nanguo Temple is also called "Ancient Tree Exhibition Hall" because of this "Three Wonders in South China". In fact, there are many ancient trees in Tianshui, and there are more than 600 trees over a thousand years old, second only to Yangzhou.

This "three wonders of the South China" is the "shape" of the South China Temple.

Second, the intermediate people's court

After seeing the West Yard, let's go to the Intermediate People's Court. This alley is full of bamboo shadows and winding paths, which reminds people of the famous sentence that is often built: "My road winds through a sheltered valley, branches and flowers to a Buddhist retreat." Green bamboo adds a lot of Zen to this place.

The whole building of the Intermediate People's Court is mainly the Guandi Temple on the south terrace. Guan Temple, also known as the Temple of God of Wealth, was once the Buddhist scriptures building of Nanguo Temple and was destroyed by fire. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dynasty, Guandi Temple, Rose Garden, Pottery Garden and Flower Rack Passage were rebuilt at the original site. The hall is dedicated to Guan Yu, the pavilion of Hanshou, and sculptures of Zhou Cang on both sides.

The whole Intermediate People's Court is covered with towering trees and a vast sea of bamboo, deep and quiet, empty and quiet. As we know, Buddhists pursue a lofty and refined attitude. Here, with bamboo as the main neighbor, you can always remind practitioners that everything is illusory and should always be "empty". Of course, "emptiness" here means "vacuum is wonderful", which makes people let go of hatred and dissatisfaction, greed, anger and obsession. Only in this way can the mind be free, quiet and peaceful.

? Third, the East Hospital

1. North Liu Quan

Walking through this flower path, you arrive at the east courtyard of Nanguo Temple. Look at the three words on the south octagonal pavilion, right! This is the famous Beiliu Spring. This hexagonal well in the pavilion is Beiliu Spring. This spring, also known as Qiu Chi, is named after the spring flowing from south to north. The spring depth is 1 1 m, the water level is 6-7 m, the spring water is clear and sweet, and it contains many minerals and 17 trace elements, so it is pure natural mineral water. Taking a sip, such as ethylene glycol, will refresh your mind and make you feel very tired. And this spring is dry and shrinking, and the four seasons are inexhaustible. According to legend, praying for rain is very effective and has the reputation of "the spirit of Nanshan", which is called Longyou famous spring. It is also called "the four famous springs of Zhou Qin" with Ganquan in ganquan town, Yuquan in Yuquanguan and Ma Baoquan in North Island. This spring has a long history, and it has passed a thousand years. In Du Fu's poem, "The Water Flows North" is about this spring.

As we know, Tianshui has been named after "Tianhe Water Injection" since ancient times. During the Han Dynasty, the water flowing down from the sky was stored in this Beiliu Spring, which did not dry up in spring, did not overflow in summer, and the four seasons suddenly appeared. For thousands of years, it has nourished the pure land of Nanguo Temple, generations of Tianshui people and countless charming Tianshui white dolls.

This Beiliu Spring is the "root" of Nanguo Temple.

? 2. Ermiao Xuanbei

Passing by Beiliu Spring, the stone tablet you see is the famous poem tablet of Er Miao Xuan. The earliest Ermiao Xuanbei was built in Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty. Song Wan, a native of Shandong Province, loved Du Fu's Qinzhou Miscellaneous Poems during his stay, so he donated his salary, selected 60 poems written by Du Fu during his stay, collected the characters of ancient people such as Wang Xizhi, and hired 34 carved stones of He Zhang, who were good at copying, to be embedded in jade. Later, due to the war, many buildings in yuquan temple were destroyed, and the whereabouts of these poems were unknown. Until the forty-eighth year of Qianlong (1783), Wang Kuan of Zhou Qinnian left his job to live in seclusion. By chance, he found a broken stone tablet engraved with Du Fu's poems in a monk's room in Xiguan, Qin Cheng. Unfortunately, there were only four poems left, with the words * * 160. Because of the wonderful words in the poem, he wrote a close-up of the inscription and postscript on the mysterious monument of the Second Temple, which is the origin of the poem, and wrote a poem titled the mysterious monument of the Second Temple. After Wang Kuan, the whereabouts of Er Miao Xuan Bei were unknown again. Fortunately, Mr. Zhou collected the tablet rubbings of Ermiaoxuan in Qing Dynasty, and his son Zhou Heng donated them to the government on 1985.

Now you can see the Ermiaoxuan poem tablet with a total length of 35.6 meters and a height of 4.36 meters. This is an ancient building. Built in 1997. According to the rubbings of Qing Dynasty, which were donated by Zhou Heng, they were sent to Changsha, Hunan. With computer scanning and laser engraving, 60 pieces of Du Fu's Qinzhou Miscellaneous Poems were carved. This tablet is mainly in running script, including block letters, running scripts, chapters and cursive scripts. , diverse styles, spectacular appearance. It is called the "Second Temple Monument" because it combines the calligraphy of famous calligraphers such as Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi with Du Fu's poems, and the calligraphers' poems are brilliant and colorful. When the newly-built stele gallery of Er Miao Xuan was built, the postscript of Er Miao Xuan by Feng and Huo and the reprinted preface of Er Miao Xuan were also engraved, which were poems by Wang Feng, He and Yu Youren.

Therefore, this poem tablet of Er Miao Xuan not only records a period of history and inherits a culture, but also embodies the painstaking efforts of countless people with lofty ideals.

? 3. Du Fu Stone Statue

Look at this lying statue of Du Fu in the east, which is located in front of a bamboo forest. This statue of Du Fu's prone position was designed by Ms. He E. She designed the sculpture "Mother of the Yellow River", and the material used was Qingbaishi, a Beijing specialty. Look at Du Fu in front of you. He has a bright eye and stares at the Spring and Autumn Cooper in the West Courtyard. His thin face is full of vicissitudes and worries, showing his unyielding character, and also full of literati temperament and unshakable patriotic feelings with clear love and hate. Du Fu's eyes are straight and his face is slightly upward, which shows that he is not afraid of powerful people and takes poetry as the pride of princes. Du Fu's eyes can take us to the Tang Dynasty where Du Fu lived. Everyone saw Du Fu holding a cup in his left hand and his right hand upturned. His cup is full of Beiliu spring water, and his right hand beats the rhythm of poetry. The pedestal below is engraved with the words "Du Fu is here", which is called "Qin Zhou" in Tianshui and "He" in Qin Wei, which is related to Miao. It is an ancient plant suitable for raising horses. Qin Xiaogong, the ancestor of the Qin Dynasty, raised horses in the Qin Dynasty. Because of the meritorious service in raising horses, the fief was Qin and the surname was given to win. After that, the Qin people took this as their base area and became more and more powerful. Finally, they went east to Shaanxi and unified the whole country. Today, one of the five major cultures in Tianshui is Qin culture.

4. Old Du Zhouqin Miscellaneous Monument

The stone tablet in the west is the miscellaneous poem tablet of old Du Zhouqin. This stone tablet is made of white marble, with a height of 2.33m, a width of1.10m and a thickness of 40cm. Carved in the 19th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (1483), it was carved by Zhou Qinnian Fu Nai and is a cultural relic of the Ming Dynasty. There are 50 poems by Qin Zhou Du Fu, 50 poems by Fu Nai, 60 poems by * * *, and the engraved content is the same as that of Er Miao Xuan Monument. It is an old relic of Tianshui Confucian Temple unearthed in Rulin Street during the reconstruction of the old city of Qin Zhou in 2002. It was slightly damaged because it was accidentally dug by an excavator when it was unearthed. Lao Du Qinzhou Miscellaneous Poems Monument is the earliest inscribed poem monument of Du Fu Qinzhou Miscellaneous Poems excavated in China at present, which can be called a national treasure.

Du Fu is called "Lao Du" for several reasons: First, Du Fu is a country and a nation with an old mentality. Second, Du Fu often calls himself a "young wild old man", and his poems have far-reaching influence. Thirdly, in order to distinguish Du Mu, a poet in the late Tang Dynasty, Du Fu was called "Lao Du" and Du Mu was called "Xiao Du". There is another reason, which may be the honorific title for Du Fu, just like people nowadays are called "Wang Lao" and "Zhang Lao".

? Four. Concluding remarks

Although this Nanguo Temple is not big, it is small and big. The ancient tree is its shape, Du Fu is its god and Beiliu Spring is its root. Just like an old man, with his "shape", "spirit" and "root", he silently tells the history, inherits the culture and watches our motherland flourish.

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