Xiangshan Jingang Temple Introduction
Located in Dinglan, the Xiangshan King Kong Temple is named after Xiangshan, which resembles an elephant in its geographical formation. The main deity worshipped here is Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. In China, the worship of Guanyin began as early as the 1st century BCE with the introduction of Buddhism, and it spread to Korea and Japan in the mid-7th century. The Guanyin faith also reached Tibet in the 7th century, primarily in the form of the Four-Armed Guanyin, with the Dalai Lama considered an embodiment of this figure. Before the Song Dynasty, Guanyin was depicted as a male figure; in the "Flower Adornment Sutra," Guanyin is described as a valiant husband, and in the "Sad Flower Sutra," referred to as a good man. Later, in response to the wishes of the faithful, Guanyin transformed into a female figure, embodying maternal love and compassion to enlighten and save sentient beings. [Source: Jinsha Town Office]
