Soc Yan Buddhist Temple
Soc Yan Buddhist Temple
PHILIPPINES, Manila
Soc Yan means Lodging Swallow. The temple was founded by Zhang Wenlian in 1952. It is named after Suyan (Lodging Swallow) Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian, founded by Zhang Wenlian’s grandmother Yangjia between 1875 and 1908 during the Qing dynasty. When Zhang Wenlian passed away in 1960 the temple was handed over to her cousin Ruji, who became the abbess after renouncing. The temple underwent subsequent expansion and it is now the most important Bhiksuni Buddhist temple in the Philippines.
The three-story main building houses the Ksitigarbha Hall, lecture hall and sutra repository. The upturned eaves are decorated with vine and cloud motifs. There are octagonal windows, which add to the various elements that characterize the Chinese architectural style. The main gate has a roof with green glazed tiles, and a pair of golden lions guards the entrance. In 1978, the five-story Bon Lian Charity Clinic was built nearby.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture M-S, page 1035.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Lancaster, Lewis,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture M-S},
pages = 1035,
title = {{Soc Yan Buddhist Temple}},
volume = 3,
year = {2016}}