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Zhenguo Temple

Introducing Pingyao Zhenguo Temple
The Zhenguo Temple is a 1000-year-old Buddhist Temple located to the north of Pingyao. It is the only remaining temple in China built in the architectural style of the Five Dynasties Period (10th century). It shares the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation together with the Ancient City of Pingyao and Shuanglin Temple. Zhenguo Temple was first constructed in 963, during the Northern Han Dynasty, when it was known as Jingcheng Temple. The name changed to Zhenguo Temple around 1540, in the Ming Dynasty. This impressive temple complex is divided into two sections, built around front and back courtyards. At the center of the front courtyard is the most noteworthy building in the temple, the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddha, one of the oldest wooden buildings in China. Orginally constructed in 963, this square-shaped hall was restored in 1815 when the brick walls were added. Inside the hall are 11 statues. The plump-looking sculptures, all with distinctive facial expressions, date from the Five Dynastive Period and are considered to be important works of art. The intricate roof design is also considered a noteworthy feature of this historical building, with the tall bracket sets considered a rarity in an ancient temple. In the back courtyard is the Hall of Three Buddha, with the Guanyin Hall and the Hall of the King of Hell on either side. They contain noteworthy sculptures and frescoes.

Pingyao Zhenguo Temple Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Zhen Guo Si 镇国寺
• Best Time to Visit: Apr, May, Sept & Oct
• Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 hour
• Things to Do: Buddhism, clay and wood sculpures
• Opening Hours: 08:00 to 18:00 from Mar to Nov; 08:00 to 17:30 from Dec to Feb
• Entrance Fee: CNY25
• Address: Haodong Village, Pingyao County, Shanxi Province

Why visit Pingyao Zhenguo Temple
Chinese ancient buildings were built chiefly in timber, which is vulnerable to moisture, fire, insects, and the ravages of time, very little ancient architecture has survived. The oldest datable timber building in China is the Main Hall of the Nanchan Temple, on Mount Wutai, built sometime before 782 during the Tang Dynasty. The second oldest and the largest is the Main Hall of nearby Foguang Temple, built in 857 during the Tang Dynasty. The Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall of Zhenguo Temple is the third oldest wooden structures in China, featuring very large brackets that hold up the roof and flying eaves. It was built in 963 during the Northern Han dynasty. It is the only surviving building that dates from the short-lived Northern Han dynasty. The Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall also contains eleven sculptures from the Northern Han period. These are among the only examples of 10th century Buddhist sculpture that survive from outside the Mogao Grottoes.

What to expect at Pingyao Zhenguo Temple

The Hall of Heavenly Kings
The Hall of Heavenly Kings acts as the temple’s gate and was originally built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) with overhanging gable roof. The hall is flanked by two towers, Bell Tower which houses a bell cast in 1145 during the Jin Dynasty to its east and Drum Tower to its west. It is named due to the Four Heavenly Kings statues enshrined in the hall. The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods, each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. They are the protectors of the world and fighters of evil, each able to command a legion of supernatural creatures to protect the Dharma. Their task is to protect the world in their direction respectively.

The Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall
Constructed in 963 in the Northern Han Dynasty (951-979) without the use of a single nail, the Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall is the third oldest wooden structures in China and a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture. It is a three-bay single-eaves hip and gabled hall that is nearly square in shape. The hall contains eleven sculptures from the Northern Han period. These are the only Chinese sculptures from the period that survive from outside the Mogao Grottoes. The main sculpture is a sitting sculpture of Sakyamuni (founder of Buddhism) flanked by Bodhisattvas and the Heavenly Kings.

Other buildings of Pingyao Zhenguo Temple
The Hall of Three Buddhas is the last building on the central axis of this temple. Built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), painted sculptures of three forms of Shakyamuni are enshrined in the center of this hall. Delicate murals that bedeck its walls depict the life of Shakyamuni in vivid colour. The northern courtyard also features two minor halls: Hall of Avalokitesvara facing the west and Hall of Ksitigarbha facing the east, which both date from the Ming Dynasty.

How to get to Pingyao Zhenguo Temple
• By local bus: take Pingyao public bus no. 9 to the final stop and you are at Zhenguo Temple.
• Rent a car/bus from GoGrandChina to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Pingyao to Zhenguo Temple.

Additional travel advice on Pingyao Zhenguo Temple
• No inside photo allowed (enforced by video camera)

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