Baoguo
Baoguo (literally “the precious pot”) is placed in front of the Tianwang Hall. It is 1.85 m in diameter and 1.1 m in depth, and is used by the monks to make porridge. It used to be in the western side room of the northern chamber in the east yard. After its removal to the present location, another larger pot of 4 m in diameter and 2 m in depth took its place; it can hold 625 kg of rice at a time and it takes as long as 16 hours to cook the rice. Because of the slow cooking process, the porridge is especially delicious. At the bottom of the two pots there are sand containers. As the porridge is constantly stirred during the cooking, the sand in the rice will sink down into the containers.
Stone Fish
The Stone Fish is hung in the front corridor of the Longwang Hall. It is 1.7 m in length and weighs 150 kg. It is made of stone though it looks as if it was of bronze. If you knock at it, it produces five different notes. The Stone Fish that you see in the temple is a replica of the original one. It is said that the Fish used to be a treasure of the Dragon Palace in the Southern Sea. It was presented as a gift by the Dragon King to the Jade Emperor. Once a serious drought struck the world below and the Jade Emperor decided to send the Fish to save the people from the drought. On one windy and stormy night the stone fish descended from the sky and landed in the Tanzhe Temple. The fish consisted of thirteen parts, representing the thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. If any province was drought-stricken, a knock on the corresponding part would bring drenching rain to the area; if anyone became ill, a touch of the corresponding part of the fish would bring immediate cure. Later the Fish became deified and people came from around the temple to pray before it.
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