Stepping into Puji Temple, one was impressed by the brightly burning candles, coiling incense smoke and crowds of people. First built during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Puji Temple is enormous in size with magnificent architecture. It has 9 halls with ancient trees and huge incense burners standing in between. In the center of Grand Yuantong Hall, the main hall is a glittering 9-meter-tall statue of Guanyin and on both sides are 32 statues representing Guanyin's different images with some of them as ordinary persons. Puji Temple, together with Fayu Temple and Huiji Temple, are known as the three major temples at Putuoshan, each endowed with its own beauty and splendor.

Buddhist Ceremony

At about seven o'clock in the morning, Master Jieren, new abbot for the whole of Putuoshan, departed from Fayu Temple and proceeded in the company of devoted followers of Buddhism to Yuantong Hall in Puji Temple to preach the Law and then to partake in the seat-assuming ceremony in the Hall of the Law. The path he traversed was covered with red carpet and a tasseled canopy was held above his head. Nonetheless, the most important scene in the whole ritual was the opening of the main gate of the temple.

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