Dazhao Temple
By admin on 2015-01-15

Dazhao Temple is the oldest and largest temple in Hohhot. It is located in the old part of Hohhot and was built in 1580 during Ming Dynasty. Usually, the local people call it Yinfo Temple because there is a rare silver statue of Sakyamuni with 2.5-meter-high.
 
The Dazhao Temple is called Yikezhao Temple in Mongolian and means large temple. The original name was the Hongci Temple in Han Dynasty when it was completed to enlarge. In the temple the statue of Sakyamuni was made of silver entirely, so the Hongci Temple is also called the Silver Buddha Temple by local people. It is called Wuliang Temple since Qing Dynasty after the reconstruction in 1640.

The Temple was originally built in the Han Dynasty. It was completed in 1580 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and is the oldest Lama Buddhist temple in Inner Mongolia. It went through a major reconstruction in 1640, but much of the original architectural style was retained. In Kangxi Year of Qing Dynasty about in 1700, the temple was rebuilt again. The roof of the main hall was changed to pave yellow glazed tiles. After rebuilt, the Temple became very beautiful and full of Tibetan Buddhist color.

Dazhao Temple owns its fame to a visit by the third Tibetan Dalai Lama in 1586, when he came to dedicate the Silver Buddha statue. As a consequence Hohhot became a religious center for people from all over Mongolia who came to worship at the temple. Another notable event in the temple's long history was a visit by Emperor Kangxi during the early part of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). After his soujournment, a few days, the temple was dedicated to him, and a gold tablet proclaiming in characters "Long Live the Emperor" was set before the silver Sakyamuni. In respect to this imperial favour, from this time onwards the temple also became one of the few in the province that nullified the practice of choosing a new living Buddha after the old had passed away.