Buddhist Relics and Buddha Trace in Jinggu County, Puer

Buddhist Relics and Buddha Trace in Jinggu County – A Sample of Southern Buddhism

Jinggu, Pu’er – A Scenic Place with Plenty of Buddha Trails 

Jinggu’s role of “pilgrimage destination” comes from its long standing and well established “predestination with Buddhism”. “26 Trails of Buddha” had always been a name card of Jinggu. 

The classic book “Pazhao Dihun” (Buddha Roam Circulate) widely spread in the Dai regions records the tales and legends of Buddha roaming and doing missionary work in the Dai regions, wherein the Chapter “26 Footprints and Handprints of Guodama” tells the story of Buddha roaming in Jinggu 1,000 years ago. 

Immortal Symbol 

Bowing to Buddha 

Immortal Symbol Offering 

Amazingly, 24 of the Buddha trails that are to date worshiped by people conform to the description in the classic book one by one, only 2 of them have not found yet. Some say that they could be masked by geological changes or village migration, or maybe not in the territory of Jinggu because of the administrative divisions. But more people believe that these 2 of the Buddha trails must be right there, and it is just not in the right moment to be found by people. 

According to the deduction from “Pazhao Dihun”, the period when the Buddha roamed in Jinggu is the period of a slavery society of the local Dai people. And at that time, it was a wild place here, and the Buddha came here and did the missionary work, fought and expelled devils to secure the common people. And finally the Buddha was believed and worshiped by people. The book says that the Buddha has left plenty of trails in the places he roamed about. Totally there are 26 trails of Buddha in Jinggu County. Among the trails found, we see footprints, handprints, sitting-prints, lying-prints and karst caves. The trails themselves are works of nature in different shapes, each with a source and moving legend in the historic and classic books of Dai ethnic group. 

Buddha Trail Offering

Sutras Chanting at the Trail 

There are totally 28 “footprints” of the Buddha in the Southern Buddhism dissemination regions, including 1 in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, 1 in Dehong Dai & Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, and other 26 are all in Jinggu County. These prints are separately located at Diaojiaopo, Manghong, Mangxu, Tongchang, Xungang, and Xiangyan in the original Zhongshan Township, Dazhai in Weiyuan Town, Large Immortal Foot, Small Immortal Foot, Qiangang, Qiannuo in Yongping Town, Baita, Womeng, Mengliang, Yonghai, Mangnai in Mengban Township, Mangluo Immortal Cave in Banpo Township, and Mengnai Immortal Cave in Zhengxing Township etc. 

Over 20 of Buddha trails in just one county and worshiped by believers since ancient times, hence the title – “Place of Buddha Trails” – is just right for Jinggu. 

Leiguang Buddha Trail Temple 

Mangduo Buddha Trail Garden – Handprint of Buddha 

Each year, believers at the number of a thousand to ten thousands from Dai regions and Southeast Asia come to Jinggu after the new year in Dai calendar to worship, to chant scripture, to drip water, to offer money and food to the Buddha, to pray for an auspicious and secured life and a good harvest for the incoming year. 
Chinese Version: http://www.sohu.com/a/67985195_259173