Dabei Buddhist Monastery

The Dabie Buddhist Monastery is made up of two parts: old monastery and new monastery. The old monastery refers to the three great halls in the west yard. The construction of the old monastery was start in the beginning of Qing Dynasty, and was renovated in the eighth ruling year of Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty. The east yard features in the new monasterys. The statue of Sakyamuni oblated in the Daxiong Palace from the east yard was created in Ming Dynasty. The whole Sakyamuni Statue is 7 meters high, 6 tons weight, with 9,999 small Buddha carved on the lotus throne. Inside the Great Compassion hall, a 3.6-meters-high-mud-statue of Thousand-hand Kwan-yin is oblate.

The monastery was once famous for holding a skull relic of Xuanzang, however, the relic was presented to India in 1956 when it was taken to Nalanda - allegedly by the Dalai Lama - and presented to India. The relic is now in the Patna museum. And from then on, Great Compassion monastery takes the image of Xuanzang Master instead of the spirit bones for the worship of the Buddhist.

There are memorials for Xuanzang Master and Hongyi Master in the east yard, while the west yard becomes an office for Cultural Relic Palace, Abbot Palace and Chinese Buddhism Association Tianjin Branch. In the Cultural Relic Palace of the west yard, there many collections from every dynasties since Wei and Jin Period including hundreds of Buddha statues which are made of various materials from bronze, iron, stone to wood.

Tianjin Old City

On the south gate of Tianjin Old City, there is Guangdong Assembly Hall built in the 33rd year of Guangxi Emperor's ruling period (1907); there is an Islamism Mosque in the northwestern corner built in the 42nd year of Kangxi Emperor's ruling period (1703); a Queen of Heaven Palace on the northeastern corner of the city, built in Yuantaiding 3rd year (1326), which was used for sacrificing navigation eudemon, and a Jade Emperor Pavilion which is built in the 2nd year of Xuande Emperor's ruling period (1427) in Ming Dynasty. Beside the Lion Forest Bridge there is a Zion and a church built in the 30th year of Guangxu Emperor's ruling period in Qing Dynasty (1904). What's more, the Laoxi Kai Church at Dushan Road, Binjing Avenue, Heping District also opens for foreigners. But non-Christian are not allowed to enter it.