Longxing Monastery, Dabei Pavilion 大悲閣

Building Information

The Longxing Monastery Dabei Pavilion (Dabeige 大悲閣) is the main building of Longxing Monastery, and is dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin 觀音, known in Sanskrit as Avalokitesvara. As the main deity of Longxingsi, this bodhisattva of great compassion (dabei 大悲) is housed in a towering pavilion located on the central axis to the north of a later ordination altar (jietan 戒壇). The building is said to have originally been 13 zhang (approximately 130') high and was framed by ear pavilions on the east and west sides of the main pavilion, each originally seven zhang and three chi (approximately 73') in height (Guo 2009, 370-73). Due to insufficient funding when the Dabei Pavilion was renovated in 1944, parts needed for it could not be purchased, and materials from the ear pavilions were used instead. From 1997 to 1999, Dabei Pavilion and the two ear pavilions were rebuilt.1

Based on the extant Song period pillar bases and platform remains, it can be inferred that during the Song dynasty, Dabei Pavilion was a seven-bay wide and six-bay deep building (Guo 2009, 370-73). The reconstructed Dabei Pavilion is now a three-story structure of 32.71 meters, with a hip-gable roof (xieshan 歇山 (called shaliangtou 厦兩頭 or "nine-ridged" jiuji 九脊 during the Song), and has a floor plan reduced by one-third its original size. Despite this, Dabei Pavilion still stands as a symbol of the ancient city of Zhengding.1

The only remaining Song dynasty artifacts in Dabei Pavilion are a bronze bodhisattva statue and a 2.25-meter-high stone-carved Sumeru (Xumi 須彌) pedestal (Guo 2009, 370-73). The 21.3-meter tall bronze statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, which stands on the Sumeru pedestal, is also called the Great Zhengding Bodhisattva 正定大菩薩. Dabei Pavilion is regarded as one of the “Four Treasures of Hebei” alongside the Cangzhou Lion (Canzhou shizi 滄州獅子), the Dingzhou Pagoda (Dingzhou ta 定州塔), and the Zhaozhou Stone Bridge (Zhaozhou shiqiao 趙州大石橋; Zhengdingxian wenwu baoguansuo 2000, 10-15).2

大悲閣是隆興寺的主體建築，位於戒壇北面的中軸線上。大閣兩側設有東、西耳閣，各高七丈三尺（郭 2009，370-73）。1944年修繕大悲閣時，由於經費不足，無法購置大悲閣所需材料，因此將二耳閣的舊材用於大悲閣。1997年至1999年，大悲閣和兩耳閣得以重建。1

根據現存的宋代柱礎遺跡和月臺遺跡，可以推測宋代大悲閣是一座面寬七間、進深六間的建築（郭 2009，370-73）。重修後的大悲閣平面縮小了三分之一，現為一座32.71米的出檐三層、歇山頂式的樓閣。儘管如此，這座樓閣仍然是正定古城的象徵。1

大悲閣內現存的宋代遺物只有銅製菩薩像及石雕須彌座（郭 2009，370-73）。高達2.25米的石須彌座上矗立著一尊巨大的21.3米的銅鑄千手觀音像，是隆興寺所供奉的主尊，被稱為聞遐邇的正定大菩薩。它與滄州獅子、定州塔、趙州大石橋並稱為“河北四寶”（河北省正定縣文物保管所 2000，10-15）。2