Founded in 1658, Dabei Buddhist Temple is located on the middle section of Tianwei Road in Tianjin. It is a famous ancient Buddhist monastery which once held the holy ashes of Xuanzang, a monk of the Tang Dynasty. The temple complex can be divided into the east and west courtyards. The west courtyard is the original of the Qing Dynasty and is comprised of the Cultural Relic Hall and the Abbot Hall. The east courtyard consists of the entrance gate, Tianwang Hall, the Main Shrine Hall, Dabei Hall as well as Xuanzang s Memorial Hall.
The Main Shrine Hall, also known as Daxiong Temple, is the main building of the temple. A statue of Sakyamuni (Buddha) sits in the center, flanked by two retinues: Manjusri to the left and Samantabhadra to the right. With a height of three meters and a thousand Buddhas on its foundation bed, the Ming Dynasty statue is spectacular. To either side of Sakyamuni are eighteen vivid and lifelike arhats (Buddhist monks). The temple also boasts large numbers of historical and cultural relics, some of which are valuable works of art.
The Main Shrine Hall, also known as Daxiong Temple, is the main building of the temple. A statue of Sakyamuni (Buddha) sits in the center, flanked by two retinues: Manjusri to the left and Samantabhadra to the right. With a height of three meters and a thousand Buddhas on its foundation bed, the Ming Dynasty statue is spectacular. To either side of Sakyamuni are eighteen vivid and lifelike arhats (Buddhist monks). The temple also boasts large numbers of historical and cultural relics, some of which are valuable works of art.