Dabei Chan Temple is located on Tianwei Road, Hebei District, Tianjin. It is one of the largest and oldest existing Buddhist temples in Tianjin and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The temple is renowned for its profound Buddhist cultural heritage, simple and solemn architectural style, and serene religious atmosphere. It is not only an important religious activity site in Tianjin but also an influential cultural tourist attraction. The temple covers an area of approximately 42,000 square meters with a construction area of 16,000 square meters. The buildings in the temple are arranged in a rigorous manner, scattered according to traditional temple regulations. It mainly consists of many halls such as the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Dabei Hall, the Ksitigarbha Hall, and the Memorial Hall of Master Xuanzang. Overall, it presents the characteristics of typical traditional Chinese temple architecture, with overhanging eaves, brackets, carved beams, and painted rafters, demonstrating a high level of architectural art.
History and Culture
The history of Dabei Chan Temple can be traced back to the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. It was originally named "Dabei Yuan" and founded by the eminent monk Shi Gao. In the 8th year of Kangxi (1669), the temple was expanded, and its scale gradually increased. In the course of history, Dabei Chan Temple has undergone many renovations and reconstructions, and most of the existing buildings are in the pattern after renovation in the 1980s.
The temple holds an important position in the history of Buddhist development. It is a Han Buddhist Zen temple, inheriting the doctrines of Zen Buddhism. Many eminent monks once resided and propagated Buddhism here, attracting numerous believers and tourists to visit and worship. Meanwhile, Dabei Chan Temple is also the seat of the Tianjin Buddhist Association, playing an important role in promoting the dissemination of Tianjin's Buddhist culture and carrying out religious exchange activities.
Main Attractions
Heavenly King Hall
The Heavenly King Hall is the mountain gate hall of Dabei Chan Temple and the first hall after entering the temple, with a construction area of approximately 200 square meters. In the center of the hall, there is a sitting statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, with a smiling face, implying "A big belly can hold all the unbearable things in the world; an open mouth laughs at all the laughable people in the world". On both sides of Maitreya Bodhisattva's statue stand the Four Heavenly Kings, namely the Southern Growth Heavenly King holding a sword, the Eastern Protecting the Country Heavenly King holding a pipa, the Northern Multi-hearing Heavenly King holding an umbrella, and the Western Wide-eyed Heavenly King holding a snake. They symbolize favorable weather and protect the Buddhist Dharma. At the back of the hall, there is a statue of Wei Tuo Bodhisattva, who is a Dharma protector in Buddhism, holding a diamond pestle to guard the peace of the temple.
Mahavira Hall
The Mahavira Hall is one of the main buildings of Dabei Chan Temple, with a construction area of about 300 square meters. It is the place where major Buddhist activities are held in the temple. In the center of the hall, there is a sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, which is 5.2 meters high and looks solemn. On both sides of Sakyamuni Buddha are Amitabha Buddha and Medicine Buddha, collectively known as the "Horizontal Trinity Buddhas", representing different pure lands in Buddhism. On both sides of the Buddha statues, there are also statues of the Eighteen Arhats, each with different postures and vivid expressions, about 1.5 meters high, showing exquisite sculpture art.
Dabei Hall
Dabei Hall is one of the core halls of Dabei Chan Temple, with a construction area of about 250 square meters. It is named because it houses the statue of Dabei Guanyin Bodhisattva. The statue of Dabei Guanyin Bodhisattva in the hall is 6.2 meters high, carved from camphor wood with exquisite craftsmanship. The Guanyin Bodhisattva holds a pure bottle in hand, with a compassionate and peaceful expression. Other statues of Guanyin are also enshrined in the Dabei Hall, showing different incarnations of Guanyin Bodhisattva and embodying the spirit of "great compassion and saving all living beings from suffering".
Ksitigarbha Hall
The Ksitigarbha Hall has a construction area of about 180 square meters. The main statue enshrined in the hall is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, which is 3.5 meters high and looks solemn. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is famous for his great vow: "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty; I will only attain Bodhi after all sentient beings are saved". On both sides of the hall, there are statues of the Ten Yama Kings, showing the concept of cause and effect and reincarnation in Buddhism.
Memorial Hall of Master Xuanzang
The Memorial Hall of Master Xuanzang was set up to commemorate the eminent monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty, with a construction area of about 150 square meters. In the hall, there is a statue of Master Xuanzang, vividly reproducing his resolute image of going west to fetch scriptures. The memorial hall also displays the route map of Master Xuanzang's westward journey, relevant historical materials, and some Buddhist classics, showing his outstanding contributions to the dissemination of Buddhist culture and enabling tourists to have a deeper understanding of the deeds of this eminent monk.
Food
Vegetarian Food
The vegetarian food of Dabei Chan Temple is one of its characteristic foods, known for being light, healthy, and exquisite. The ingredients of vegetarian food mainly include bean products, vegetables, mushrooms, etc., which are carefully cooked by chefs to form delicious dishes. Among them, stir-fried vegetarian arhat dish is a representative dish, which is made by stir-frying various vegetables and mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, fungus, yuba, carrots, etc., with an appropriate amount of seasonings. It has a rich taste and balanced nutrition. In addition, vegetarian buns are also popular among tourists. The fillings are mostly green vegetables, vermicelli, etc., with a delicious taste and affordable price. They can be tasted in the vegetarian hall near the temple.
Surrounding Food
Erduoyan Fried Cake
Erduoyan Fried Cake is a famous traditional snack in Tianjin, which can be tasted in the Erduoyan Fried Cake Shop not far from Dabei Chan Temple. This kind of fried cake has a skin made of glutinous rice flour, and the filling is mostly red bean paste or hawthorn paste. After being fried, the outer skin is crispy, the inner part is soft and glutinous, and it is sweet and delicious. It has a long history, founded in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, and is one of the "three unique" foods in Tianjin, loved by locals and tourists.
Goubuli Baozi
Goubuli Baozi is a signature food in Tianjin, with many branches around Dabei Chan Temple. The buns are made of flour for the skin, and the filling is made of pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, etc. They are exquisitely made, with 18 folds for each bun. The steamed buns are beautiful in appearance, soft in taste, and delicious in flavor, which is a must-try food when visiting Tianjin.
Ticket
It is open for free. You can search for the official WeChat public account "天津市大悲禅院" to get the latest updates.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are from 9:00 to 16:30 every day (admission stops at 16:00). It should be noted that the temple may adjust its opening hours on some Buddhist festivals or special dates. It is recommended that tourists check and confirm through official channels before traveling.
Tour Route
After entering Dabei Chan Temple, tourists can start their visit from the Heavenly King Hall, feel the solemn atmosphere of the mountain gate hall, and understand the statues enshrined in the hall and their meanings. Then go to the Mahavira Hall to visit the main Buddha and the statues of the Eighteen Arhats. If there is a Buddhist activity, you can also feel the solemnity of the Buddhist ceremony. Then go to the Dabei Hall to worship the statue of Dabei Guanyin Bodhisattva and experience his compassionate spirit. Then you can visit the Ksitigarbha Hall to understand the great vow of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. After that, go to the Memorial Hall of Master Xuanzang to learn about his deeds of going west to fetch scriptures. After visiting the main halls, you can walk in the courtyard, enjoy the architectural style and garden landscape of the temple, and feel the quiet atmosphere of the temple. The entire tour takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Transportation
- Subway: You can take Tianjin Metro Line 1 to Xijiaokou Station, get out from Exit A, and walk for about 10 minutes to reach Dabei Chan Temple; you can also take Metro Line 3 to Zhongshan Road Station, get out from Exit B, and walk for about 15 minutes to reach.
- Bus: Take buses such as No. 1, 2, 12, 18, 34, 609, 610, 611, 619, 632, 641, 646, 659, 670, 671, 818, 878, 904, 906, 954, etc., get off at "Dabei Chan Temple" Station, and walk after getting off.
- Self-driving: There is a parking lot around the temple. Tourists can drive there. The parking fee is 5 yuan per hour for small cars.
Must-visit Attractions
- Mahavira Hall: As the main building of the temple, the "Horizontal Trinity Buddhas" and the statues of the Eighteen Arhats enshrined in the hall are very attractive. It has a large building scale and is a place for holding major Buddhist activities, which is worth visiting emphatically.
- Dabei Hall: As one of the core halls, the 6.2-meter-high camphor wood-carved statue of Dabei Guanyin Bodhisattva is exquisitely crafted, embodying profound Buddhist culture and is a landmark attraction of the temple.
- Memorial Hall of Master Xuanzang: It displays the deeds of Master Xuanzang's westward journey to fetch scriptures and related materials, which has high cultural value and enables tourists to have a deep understanding of Buddhist history.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to arrange 1.5 to 2 hours for the tour to have enough time to visit each hall and feel the atmosphere of the temple.
- Since the temple is a religious site, it is recommended to dress appropriately and avoid wearing overly revealing clothes such as short skirts and shorts.
- You can choose to go on non-holidays when there are relatively fewer tourists, so that you can better feel the quiet atmosphere of the temple.
- During the visit, you can follow the introduction of the interpreter to learn more about the temple's history, the meaning of the Buddha statues and other aspects of knowledge, so as to deepen your understanding of the temple.
Matters Needing Attention
- After entering the temple, please do not make loud noises, keep quiet, and respect religious beliefs and other tourists' visiting experience.
- Photography and video recording are prohibited in the hall. Please do not touch the Buddha statues and cultural relics in the hall, and take good care of the temple's facilities and environment.
- Abide by the temple's regulations, do not smoke or litter in the courtyard at will, and keep the environment clean.
- If you participate in the temple's Buddhist activities, you must follow the arrangement of the staff, abide by the activity order, and must not interfere with the normal conduct of the activities.
- There are many people around the temple, please take good care of your personal belongings to avoid loss.