Manchunman Temple of Dai Minority Garden in Jinghong City, XishuangBanna

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Manchunman Buddhist Temple (曼春满佛寺), also known as Menghan Chunnan Dafo Temple (勐罕春满大佛寺), is located on the west side of Manchunman Village (曼春满村) in Menghan Town (勐罕镇, Oliva Dam/橄榄坝), Jinghong City (景洪市), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (西双版纳傣族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省). The existing buildings were constructed during the Qing Dynasty (清).

The temple covers approximately 38,678 m² and consists of the main hall, precept hall, Buddhist towers, sutra library, drum tower, and monks’ quarters. The main hall is called “Weihan” (维罕), the sutra room “Hongtan” (哄坦), the monks’ quarters “Hongnuan” (哄暖), and there is one golden pagoda. Covered corridors connect the main hall, sutra room, and monks’ quarters. The main hall features a central hall with side chambers supported by over 30 columns, with decorative beams forming four sloped eaves. Ancient ritual instruments and bamboo weapons are displayed on both sides. Long banners and painted cloth strips depicting Buddhist stories hang inside, and beams and pillars are decorated with gilt patterns.

On March 5, 2013, Manchunman Buddhist Temple was designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit (Seventh Batch) by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

History

Legend holds that the temple was the first Buddhist temple built in Xishuangbanna, originally established by Dika Banyao, a disciple of Buddha from the Bulang ethnic group, in 583 CE (Buddhist calendar year 1126), over 1,400 years ago. Another account suggests it was first built in the sixth year of the Qianlong reign (1741). Dika Banyao is said to have traveled from Myanmar to teach Buddhism in Menghan, founding the temple through donations before any other temples existed in the area.

The temple was damaged in the 1960s, and the current structures date from the Qing Dynasty.

Architectural Layout

Manchunman Buddhist Temple covers 38,678 m² and includes the main hall, precept hall, Buddhist towers, sutra library, drum tower, and monks’ quarters. Covered corridors link the main hall, sutra room, and monks’ quarters. The main hall has a central hall with side chambers, supported by more than 30 columns with decorative beams, forming four sloped eaves. The hall contains ritual instruments, bamboo weapons, long banners, and painted cloth strips, with gilt designs on beams and pillars.

Main Structures

Main Gate

The temple has two unique gates. The main gate is a three-tiered roof tower with sculptures of auspicious birds and guardians holding wooden clubs. The gate header bears the name “Menghan Manchunman Dafo Temple” (勐罕曼春满大佛寺) in both Dai and Chinese. The second gate resembles a pagoda, decorated with a peacock display, and flanked by two stone guardian beasts called “Laga” (拉嘎) in Dai.

Main Hall

The main hall, located in front of the main gate, is rectangular (23.5 m × 21 m) and covers 490 m². It features 44 red columns decorated with gold patterns, long hanging banners, and a central golden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha over 4 meters tall, accompanied by five smaller Buddha statues. A raised platform allows monks to chant and meditate.

Sutra Library

Located at the northeast corner of the main hall, the library preserves numerous Buddhist scriptures and ancient Dai cultural texts written on palm leaves, known as “palm-leaf sutras” (贝叶经).

Manchunman Golden Pagoda

The golden pagoda, northwest of the temple, comprises a main tower and four smaller towers on a square base. The main tower is approximately 12 meters high, with a bell-shaped body and a spire consisting of a lotus base, wheel, parasol, and silver bells. Stone guardian beasts (Laga) stand at each corner, and small Buddha niches are located in the base of the smaller towers.

Drum Tower

The drum tower, to the right of the main hall, has four-tiered roofs with a small pagoda on top. A large drum sits inside, and three white elephants carved outside appear to lift a golden “Four-Faced Buddha” statue.

Cultural Significance

Four-Faced Buddha

The Four-Faced Buddha, unique to Theravada Buddhism, is revered as a “wish-fulfilling” deity. Each face represents love, career, health, and wealth, facing the four cardinal directions. It is one of the most venerated Buddha statues in Southeast Asia and Xishuangbanna. Theravada Buddhists place such statues outdoors for worship, whereas Han Chinese Buddhists enshrine them indoors.

Cultural Relic Protection

On November 13, 1998, the temple was listed as a Provincial Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit. On March 5, 2013, it was designated a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit (Seventh Batch) by the State Council.

Visitor Information

Location: West side of Manchunman Village (曼春满村), Menghan Town (勐罕镇, Oliva Dam/橄榄坝), Jinghong City (景洪市), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (西双版纳傣族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省).