Over here, facing the sea, stands Nanshan Temple. It imitates the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. The late president of the Buddhist Association of China, Zhao Puchu chose this location.
Construction began on November 11th, 1995. It was completed on April 12th, 1998. Zhao Puchu himself wrote the inscriptions Nanshan Temple and Haitian Woods. Haitian refers to the sight of the sea lining up with the sky.
The temple consists of several buildings in the Tang Dynasty style. These include Renwang Hall and the Hall of the Heavenly King. There is also a Bell Tower and Reel Buddhist Texts Shelf. You’ll see the East and West Climbing Corridor plus the East and West Side Hall and the Golden Hall. All this covers 5500 square meters.
Nanshan Temple is a triplex building. It has three connected halls. Renwang Hall is first and equivalent to Sanmon Hall in most temples. Two Buddhist protectors are worshiped here. These are Guhyapāda vajrah and Naroyan King Kong. They are guardians of the temple. The hall in Nanshan Temple is called Renwang Hall instead of Sanmon Hall.
Tusita Inner Court is the second hall. Tusita means world’s name or heavenly name. It translates as satisfaction. Buddhism says it is the 4th level among all six levels of the world of desires. It is divided into two courts: internal and external. The internal court is the pure land of Maitreya. The other is the place for joys. Seven figures of Buddha are enshrined here. The main Buddha is Tianguan Maitreya in the center. Two other Buddhas serve on both sides. There is Damiaoxiang Bodhisattva on the left and Fayuanlin on the right. Four Heavenly Kings protect them.
The main hall of Nanshan Temple is the Golden Hall. Three major statues are worshiped here. They represent Transverse Buddhas in three different worlds. The Buddha in the middle is Sahā-lokadhātu. He is the founder of Buddhism in the real world. That is Sakya-muni. His left retinue is Manjushri. His right retinue is Samantabhadra. The main Buddha on the left is Bhaisajyaguru. Three Buddha statues are at his backlight. This symbolizes the founder of eastern Sansheng jiao. On his left is Surya-prabha. On his right is Candraprabha. Bhaisajyaguru made 12 vows. These include satisfying people’s wishes. He also vowed to eradicate all sufferings of humans. Plus he would help with their liberation. The Buddha on the right is Amitabha. He founded the Western Paradise. Three statues are in his backlight. This symbolizes that he is the founder of the Western Sansheng Jiao. On his left sits Guanyin and on his right sits Mahasthamaprapta. Buddhists dream to live in the Western Paradise.
On both sides of Golden Hall sit 16 Arhats. They are called the 16 Nagasenas. They are the earliest Arhats according to Chinese legends.
Nanshan Temple is part of Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone. China National Tourism Administration classifies it as AAAAA scenic area. The zone is a Priority Project of China Tourism Development. Hainan is the only province in China explicitly identified for tourism development. It is also intended to become a test zone for China’s tourism reform and tech innovation.
Since 1998, Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone has organized large-scale cultural projects. Nanshan Temple has the world’s largest statue of Avalokitesvara in white called Guanyin of Nanshan. It stands 108 meters high. There is also the Gold and Jade Guanyin Bodhisattva Statue. It is the largest golden jade Buddha statue in the world. Thirty-three Statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva are enshrined in the Guinness Book. The scenic spot faces the South China Sea. It is boundlessly green and misty. It connects with mountains. It witnesses fabulously wonderful scenery. People can find spiritual comfort in Buddhist culture. They can appreciate returning to nature. They see the harmony between heaven and man. They enjoy the great scenes of the tropical seaside, sea water, beach, flowers, and green trees.
Inside the resplendent Guanyin Pavilion, you can see the world-famous Gold and Jade Guanyin Bodhisattva Statue. The statue is inlaid with a relic of Sakyamuni. It is 3.8 meters high. It consists of four parts: the golden body, the light of Buddha, the lotus seat, and the Sumeru base. The Buddha statue is made of over 100 kilograms of gold. There are over 120 karats of South African diamonds. Plus 100 kilograms of emerald jade and other rare treasures. It is valued at CNY 192000000. It is a statue gem with national style and spirit of the times. It’s a rare treasure in the history of contemporary arts and Buddhist statues arts. In 1999, it was recorded in the Guinness Book as the world’s largest gold and jade Buddha statue.