Shuanglin Temple cured my shoulder and neck problems!
Shuanglin Temple, originally named Zhongdu Si, has an untraceable founding date. A Song dynasty stele within the temple indicates a reconstruction during the Northern Qi dynasty, which suggests that Zhongdu Si has a history of over 1400 years.
It was renamed Shuanglin Temple during the Song dynasty. According to Buddhist scriptures, the place where Buddha Sakyamuni entered nirvana was between two sala trees by the Hiranyavati River in Kushinagar, ancient India. At that time, the Buddha lay down between the trees, with his head to the north and face to the west, and passed into nirvana. The trees instantly bloomed with white flowers, which is referred to as 'twin groves entering extinction'.
Speaking of Shuanglin Temple, what impressed me the most was the Thousand Buddha Hall I saw at Zhenguo Temple, with its thousands of clay sculptures from the Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods. The hall features a thousand Buddhas, each with a unique face, and even includes sculptures of women opening doors and Bodhisattvas pushing doors. Looking up at the divine Buddhas watching over the hall with serene and peaceful gazes, similar to the Guanyin of Freedom, I felt a sense of inner peace and dared to look directly into the eyes of the divine Buddhas.
Here, not only is there the magnificent Guanyin of Freedom and the first Vajrapani, but even the faces of the clay sculptures of the donors are vividly detailed.
Shuanglin Temple is not far away. However, taking a taxi in Pingyao can be inconvenient, and there's a high chance you'll have to wait for a taxi that's dropping off other passengers. Alternatively, you can download the Amap app, Didi, or Pingyao Travel. According to a hard-to-come-by rideshare driver I found, ridesharing is not allowed in the Jinzhong area, so it's still best to keep the driver's phone number just in case.
The explanation costs 50 yuan per session, and the staff inside recommend the WeChat mini-program 'Sanmao You', which only charges 6 yuan for the guide fee. Remember to bring a cold light flashlight.
That day, I encountered a group of students sketching, with charcoal, brush pens, fountain pens, watercolors, and various other drawing tools. After observing, I still think that the brush pen best captures the beauty of Chinese art With just a few strokes, the Vajrapani and Guanyin are vividly portrayed.
After staying at Shuanglin Temple for three hours, because I was constantly looking up at the clay sculptures, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my shoulder and neck pain had disappeared when I returned
Very good, in general, the sculpture needs some background to see the way out, but the Buddha statue of Shuanglin Temple is meticulous and vivid, and you can feel the charm of cultural treasures without being an insider. It is the most unmissable of all the attractions in Pingyao. It is also our favorite in this trip.
Tickets are convenient to use, swipe the code to enter, the scenic spot is not big, but the mud plastic inside is well preserved, beautiful, there are more than thousands of large and small, and they are currently surrounded by iron fences to prevent destruction or theft.
The colorful Buddha statue ceiling in Ming Dynasty in China, the vivid Wei Bodhisattva, explained the power and beauty, and the stunning water moon viewing sound, subverting the imagination of religious statues. People who like art should not miss it.
The most beautiful Weituo is here. Shuanglin Temple may not be very famous, so there are very few people. The original name of Zhongdu, the place is the former city of Zhongdu, because of its name. Zhongdu Temple was founded very early, but it is not possible to test it, but according to the inscription, it has been more than 1,400 years!
The silent monastery is full of historical rings, and the art hidden inside is shocking and unforgettable. Culture and art, even if you look at the history books and the picture books for thousands of years, may not be worth the glimpse at the scene. It is this simple glimpse, the moment you stop, that you and history have a wonderful and profound connection. The heavy history is soaking into your veins. It becomes your indelible cultural gene.
It’s really shocking. When you come to Pingyao, you must come to Shuanglin Temple. It’s best to catch up with the small number of people and slowly watch the art creation that shocked our ancestors. Everywhere is exquisite and abnormal. It’s a lot of color retreats over time. It takes a later color to see the previous beauty. shock