Lying on Tianwei Lu in the
Hebei district of
the city, the monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in
Tianjin. Built in 1611 and expanded in 1940, it was partially
destroyed in a 1976 earthquake and was restored in 1980. The
monastery houses hundreds of Buddhist statues from different
dynasties. Before 1956, the monastery contained a skull relic of
Monk Xuanzhuang (also known as Hiuen Tsang), which had been given
to a monastery in Nalanda in India for friendship.
The statue of One Thousand Arms Avalokiteshvara is artistic.
Travel tips:
Admission fee: 10 yuan
Opening hours: 09:00 to 16:50
Recommended time for a visit: One hour
(travelchinaguide.com July 25, 2007)