Banruo Temple 长春般若寺

About Banruo Temple

The entrance gates, Heavenly Kings Hall and main Buddha hall form a compact ceremonial sequence. In the main hall, Shakyamuni and the surrounding arhats provide the principal sculptural focus. The temple's ongoing worship is central to its character, so explore the publicly accessible halls quietly and allow ceremonies to determine the pace of the visit.

Construction of the temple was led from 1932 by the monk Shupei (澍培), a disciple of Master Tanxu (倓虚法师), who became abbot that October. In 1934 the Manchukuo emperor Puyi granted the temple its name, Huguo Banruo Temple (护国般若寺). The Shanmen, Heavenly Kings Hall, Daxiongbao Hall and sutra repository were completed by May 1936, and the bell and drum towers were finished the following year. In 1937 the Chaoyang Temple (朝阳寺) and Dafo Temple (大佛寺) became subordinate branches of Banruo Temple, which grew into the main center of Buddhist activity in Changchun and Jilin province.

Religious activity stopped during the Cultural Revolution, when a Guanyin worship ground built south of the gate in 1941 was destroyed and the temple site was used by a paper-box factory and bookstore. Activity resumed after 1979, government funding in 1980 and 1984 restored the temple's Buddha and arhat statues, and the temple was listed as a Changchun cultural relic protection unit in 1985. An open-air Guanyin worship ground was rebuilt in 2000 beside the bell and drum towers.

The temple courtyard covers 15,000 square meters, with a total building area of 4700 square meters arranged as a three-courtyard, palace-style complex. Behind the main hall stands the two-story Xifang Sansheng Hall (西方三圣殿), housing a sutra repository above and, below, statues of Amitabha, Mahasthamaprapta and Guanyin.

What to look for

• The Heavenly Kings Hall's Maitreya and guardian figures.
• The main Buddha hall's Shakyamuni image and surrounding arhats.

The surrounding area

Provincial capital base for modern history, Xinmin Avenue and the separate Jingyuetan outdoor area.

Location & getting there

Getting to Banruo Temple

Approach from People's Square to the temple on Changchun Street; the matched visitor listing gives 377 Changchun Street. Use the marked temple entrance and follow the current worship-area guidance.