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Avalokitesvara Altar is located at the foot of
Shengying Peak in the south of the ancient city of Dali, north of
the Mocan Brook and five km. from the City proper. It is a
magnificent Buddhist temple in the Dali area.
Avalokitesvara Altar faces the east. The entrance
of the temple is composed of five juxtaposition ally connected
gateways with decorated arches and upturned eaves, and it is one
of the four famous arched gates of Dali. Inside the gate stands an
ingeniously constructed pavilion. Behind the pavilion, a huge rock
(called the rock the woman carried on her back) sits in a pond
with a circumference of about 50 metres. On the huge rock, rises
the temple of Avalokitesvara with marble pillars, roofs, gates,
stairs and so on. On the east side of the temple, a marble bridge
joins the temple with other pavilions and a zigzag bridge. On the
west side, another marble bridge leads to the Great Hall of Great
Siddhartha. In the temple, there are a great variety of flowers
which bloom throughout the whole year. The 19th day of every
third, sixth and ninth month of the lunar year are consecrated to
worshiping Avalokitesvara, and on that day, faithful devotees and
people in general from far and near, stream in to worship
Avalokitesvara by burning joss sticks and kowtowing to the
Budhisattva. It is really a grand occasion.
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