Guangzhou Dafo Temple - One of Guangzhou's Historical Buildings
Guangzhou Dafo Temple, also known as Xinzang Temple, is one of Guangzhou's historical buildings and a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.
Guangzhou Dafo Temple is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. It was built during the Southern Han Dynasty (917–971) by the Southern Han King Liu Yan in response to the 28 constellations in the sky. It was expanded into Longzang Temple during the Ming Dynasty, and later converted into a patrol office. It was officially opened in 1986.
The Mahavira Hall of Dafo Temple faces south and covers an area of 1,200 square meters (still the largest in Lingnan). The beams and columns are made of high-quality wood donated by the King of Annam (Vietnam).
The Dafo Temple Library is the first modern Buddhist library in Guangdong open to the public, providing visitors with a place to read scriptures. The library houses various works on Buddhism, including Buddhist doctrines, history, geography, philosophy, and literature, as well as periodicals and picture albums.
In the first year of the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty (1649), the patrol office was destroyed by fire. In the spring of the second year of the Kangxi period, Shang Kexi, the King of Pingnan, donated his salary to rebuild the temple in the style of the official temple in Beijing, with Lingnan local characteristics. It has high cultural and artistic value.
There are pedestrian streets on both the north and south sides of Dafo Temple. On the north side is Guangzhou Department Store. I visited on the 16th day of the first lunar month, just after the Lantern Festival, and there were still many people.
Guangzhou Dafo Temple Address: No. 21, Huixin Middle Street, Huifu East Road, Yuexiu District (west of Beijing Road, south of Guangzhou Department Store)