Tongman Temple Mound

Tongman Temple Mound lies between Houchen Administrative Village and Huangzhuang Administrative Village in the northwest of Machang Town, 13 kilometers southeast of Taikang County Seat. It extends 266 meters from east to west and 139 meters from north to south. In 2006, the People’s Government of Zhoukou City designated it a Municipal-level Cultural Relic Protection Unit.

Tongman Temple was first constructed during the Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty and underwent constant renovations through the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Facing south with its back to the north, the temple complex housed the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings, Maitreya Buddha Hall, Mahavira Hall and Scripture Repository, alongside a Free Life Pond. Dozens of covered corridors and monk’s quarters lined the east and west sides, and the whole compound covered more than 100 mu. Ancient pines and green cypresses flourished within the walls enclosing the temple. Bell towers stood at the four corners, and a lofty pavilion faced the main southern gate. Boasting red walls and yellow glazed tiles, the upturned roof corners seemed to soar into the sky. Golden statues of various Buddhas sat serenely on lotus thrones inside the halls, vivid and lifelike. Scores of monks resided here permanently, and streams of pilgrims from all regions came to burn incense and worship the Buddha without cease.

In the early years of the Republic of China, amid warlord infighting, Tongman Temple was destroyed by warfare, leaving only a barren earthen mound. Five wells are buried inside the mound. Local villagers say numerous stone steles lie underground, and two seals once scattered among residents: one carved with coiled dragons, the other bearing the mark of Sakyamuni Buddha. During the Cultural Revolution, the Houchen and Huangzhuang production brigades built a primary school atop the mound. In 1993, local believers donated money voluntarily to build a Buddhist shrine at the northwest corner of the mound, together with east-west corridor rooms and a gate tower, totaling 22 chambers. The reconstruction of the temple carries great historical significance for promoting and preserving the nation’s cultural heritage.