In 1966, former Chinese leader Mao started the Cultural Revolution, which was led by young people to break away from traditional Chinese culture and values. Many high-ranking officials and intellectuals were removed from their posts and humiliated. They were then forced to do hard labor.
Former leader Mao Zedong told those young people to rebel against those in power. So the “Red Guards,” as they called themselves, were given a free hand to destroy the “old culture,“ such as temples of worship. All learning places, such as schools, universities, and institutes, were closed during the Cultural Revolution. Young people madly destroyed what they believed to be feudal or capitalist things. People were not allowed to believe in Buddhism, Christianity, or anything else except for communism. The following stories tell how ignorant the red guards were. They had to pay the price for what they did during the cultural revolution.
The Maitreya Buddha of Yonghe Temple
The Yonghe Temple in Beijing is a very special place where two Qing Dynasty emperors were born. They were Yongzheng and Qianlong; both had excellent relations with the Tibetan lamas. Later, in 1744, Emperor Qianlong offered this temple as a lama temple for the Tibetan Buddha Center. Now, it is the largest Tibet Buddha temple in China.
During China’s Cultural Revolution, when cultural and religious sites faced widespread destruction, the Maitreya Buddha statue at Beijing’s Yonghe Temple stood as a beacon of resilience. This 18-meter tall statue was crafted from a rare giant tree brought from Tibet during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era as a tribute to Emperor Qianlong. It was considered a treasure of Beijing to protect the city from disasters. Supported by iron chains connected to a two-story platform, it was designed to withstand the test of time.
Remarkably, the statue survived the Cultural Revolution unscathed. A 70-year-old lama from the temple shared a story with a devout young man: “Three Red Guards attempted to destroy the statue. The first soldier climbed the platform and swung an axe to cut the chains, but ended up injuring his leg. The second soldier took the axe, but missed his swing and fell, losing consciousness. The third soldier, witnessing these events, was so frightened that he collapsed. After this, no one dared to harm the statue, and it has remained safe to this day.”
The guardians of Nanhua Temple
A similar miraculous event occurred at Nanhua Temple in Shaoguan, Guangdong. A former Red Guard recounted his experience: “During the Cultural Revolution, I joined the movement out of rebellion against strict family discipline. We traveled to Nanhua Temple with the intent to destroy it. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t breach the temple gates. Suddenly, four divine warriors appeared clad in ancient armor and wielding weapons, their fierce expressions stopping us in our tracks. These protectors thwarted our attempts to forcefully open the gates, and we retreated in fear.”
As night fell, a group with firearms attempted to force entry but failed, suffering casualties instead. “We tried to enter from the back, hoping to open the front gate, but were met by a towering guardian deity. Overcome with fear and hunger, we were moved to tears. An old monk appeared, offering us food and urging us to ‘turn back from the sea of suffering.’ His words resonated deeply, and we spent the night in peace.”
The narrator later learned that Nanhua Temple was the ancestral temple of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, housing invaluable relics with a 1,500-year history. Despite the era’s chaos, the temple remained untouched, which was attributed to the protection of its guardian deities.
Preserving cultural heritage
These stories testify to the belief in divine protection of sacred sites, preserving cultural and religious heritages against the tide of destruction. They highlight the resilience of cultural landmarks and the enduring power of faith in times of turmoil.
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