Zhenguo Temple

Shanxi is so powerful that you will be amazed again when you sort out the photos. Compared with the delicacy of the south, the roughness and heaviness here is simply breathtaking. Walk the Lianglin Road again, feel the romance of the Northern Wei, Liao, Jin to the Tang Dynasty in the murals, ancient temples, and colored sculptures, and touch the cultural context. As many people comment on Shanxi: 'When the ancient buildings appear naked in front of you, the visual impact of the moment makes people lose interest in the museum where the cultural relics are evenly illuminated by lights' 4 days and 3 nights itinerary D1: Zhen Guo Temple - Pingyao Ancient City - Ma's Mansion - Shuanglin Temple D2: Wang's Mansion - Datong Ancient City D3: Huayan Temple - Shan Hua Temple - Yungang Grottoes D4: Yong'an Zen Temple - Hanging Temple - Ying County Wooden Pagoda 🌈Zhen Guo Temple The only existing Five Dynasties colored painting and wood structure in China, an ancient temple of the Northern Han Dynasty comparable to Dunhuang 🌈Pingyao Ancient City The most intact ancient county in China, a World Cultural Heritage 🌈Ma's Mansion Representative of Pingyao Jin Merchant's Mansion, the viewing platform can overlook the whole Pingyao 🌈Shuanglin Temple Exquisite Yuan and Ming colored sculptures, Tang locust tree, Song stele, Ming bell have high artistic value 🌈Wang's Mansion If the Wang family returns and doesn't look at the courtyard, it is grand and solemn, known as the folk Forbidden City 🌈Datong Ancient City Wall Walk in the Northern Wei capital, visit the city wall, drum tower, Qian tower, Kui Xing tower 🌈Huayan Temple Liao inherited the Tang system, Liang Sicheng called it 'a unique product in the country, a national treasure for a thousand years' 🌈Shan Hua Temple The largest existing Liao and Jin building, with Rakshasa clay sculptures and Ming Dynasty temple murals 🌈Yungang Grottoes The Northern Wei Dynasty excavated the whole country, read all the volumes of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and only worshipped Yungang in his life 🌈Ying County Wooden Pagoda The oldest and tallest wooden pagoda in China, known as the museum of bucket arch 🌈Yuan Jue Temple Brick Pagoda A solid brick pagoda in the style of imitation wood and dense eaves under Mount Heng, inheriting the Song and Liao style 🌈Yong'an Zen Temple Yuan Dynasty wooden architecture, Yuan Dynasty murals, calligraphy plaques, amazing 🌈Hanging Temple Built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty, a 1500-year-old air loft on the cliff 🌈Datong Earth Forest The landscape formed by wind and water erosion is most charming when the sun sets on a sunny day It's cold and windy in winter, remember to choose good weather, be sure to keep warm, the attractions are far apart, it is recommended to rent a car or charter Shanxi is too much of a treasure, what other private attractions do you have, welcome to share 😘

🗺️🗺️【4 days and 3 nights route】 Day1️⃣: Zhenguo Temple-Pingyao Ancient City-Yima Family Courtyard-Shuanglin Temple Day2️⃣: Wang Family Courtyard-Datong Ancient City Day3️⃣: Huayan Temple-Shanhua Temple-Yungang Grottoes Day4️⃣: Yongan Zen Temple-Hanging Temple-Ying County Wooden Pagoda — 🚗🚗【About Transportation】 1️⃣It is recommended to choose to take a taxi🚗, with a wide range of routes, and there will be no traffic jams. 2️⃣It is recommended to choose to go to Taiyuan South Station or Taiyuan Station🚄, close to the city center, convenient transportation.👍 3️⃣It is recommended not to take a black car, it is easy to be pitted, and there is no security.🙅 — 🥘🥘【Shanxi Cuisine】 1️⃣Baked bun🫓: squid, chicken, sesame sauce is delicious 2️⃣Pingyao Beef🐂: Historical, fat but not greasy, lean but not firewood 3️⃣Taigu Cake🍪: It is a traditional famous dish in Shanxi, crispy but not hard, soft but not skin, beef sausage 4️⃣Fried Bowl Tuo🥣: Dong Fried Bowl Tuo's special food is a very famous snack 5️⃣Hunyuan Cold Noodles🍜: Yuan Liang has a history of thousands of years, add chili oil flavor one — 🌈🌈【Local Features】 1️⃣Shanxi's characteristic diet is mainly sour (vinegar), most dishes are not spicy🈚️, don't worry if you don't eat spicy 2️⃣Shanxi has a profound cultural heritage, and due to climatic conditions, cultural relics are easy to preserve, which means that Shanxi's ground cultural resources (statues, ancient buildings) are very rich. 3️⃣The prices in Shanxi are cheaper than those in first-tier tourist cities💰, of course, eating in scenic spots🍚 is still relatively expensive (per capita 50～100r💰).

Pingyao County is the second batch of China's historical and cultural cities, along with Lijiang Ancient City in Yunnan, Langzhong Ancient City in Sichuan, and Shexian Ancient City in Anhui, known as the 'Four Ancient Cities' that are best preserved in China. With a history of more than 2700 years, it is a county rich in cultural relics in Shanxi Province, with more than 300 ancient sites. The 'world-renowned' Rishengchang Bank is known as the 'ancestor of modern Chinese banks', Shuanglin Temple is praised by experts as the 'treasure trove of oriental colored sculpture art', and the Wanfo Hall of Zhenguo Temple is one of the earliest and most precious wooden structures in China. Take the high-speed train from Wuhan to Pingyao via Shijiazhuang, about 6 hours. 597R Route: Pingyao City Wall—Pingyao Confucius Temple—City God Temple—Rishengchang—Shuanglin Temple—Zhenguo Temple Pingyao City Wall: The route to climb the city wall is from the entrance of Yingxun Gate, where you can enjoy the scenery of Pingyao while walking. When you get to the exit of Yunlu Street, go straight and you will soon reach the Confucius Temple. Pingyao Confucius Temple: The Confucius Temple is full of cultural atmosphere, and there is also the Dragon Gate symbolizing good luck. Remember to walk through it for good luck. City God Temple: The City God Temple is opposite the Confucius Temple, you can visit it on the way. The City God Temple has colored glazed tiles, and it is a unique combination of the City God, Kitchen God, and Wealth God temples. If you worship the Wealth God, you must not miss it. Rishengchang: The ancestor of modern Chinese banks, it was the first private financial institution in China that specialized in deposits, loans, and exchange business, pioneering the Chinese banking industry. At noon, I went to eat Kao Lao Lao, Pingyao beef, which has a unique taste. In the afternoon, I went to two temples. Shuanglin Temple: Shuanglin Temple faces south with the north behind, covering a large area. The western part is the temple yard, with ten halls and three courtyards. The front yard consists of the Sakyamuni Hall, Arhat Hall, Wusheng Hall, Earth God Hall, Yama Hall, and Heavenly King Hall; the middle yard consists of the Great Buddha's Hall and the Thousand Buddha Hall and Bodhisattva Hall on both sides; the back yard consists of the Goddess Hall and Zhenyi Shrine. The eastern part is mainly the Zen yard and the sutra room. Zhenguo Temple: The Wanfo Hall is one of the earliest and most precious wooden structures in China, with more than 100 existing murals, which are continuous and rich, worth seeing. In the evening, I went to eat Hongwuji's old vinegar braised beef, the meat was tender and the taste was great, after eating, I went to the high-speed rail station to go home.

Zhen Guo Temple in Pingyao, built in the seventh year of Tianhui in the Northern Han Dynasty of the Five Dynasties (963 AD), is one of the three existing Five Dynasties buildings in Chinese Buddhist temples. It is said that the statues in the temple have not been attempted to be repaired in modern times and retain their original state, which is shocking. It is about ten kilometers away from Shuanglin Temple. It is one of the highly recommended temples.

The architecture of Zhen Guo Temple, with the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas as the earliest, is one of the oldest existing wooden structures, built in the seventh year of Tianhui in the Northern Han Dynasty (963 AD), known as the 'Millennium Treasure'. Despite numerous renovations over the generations, it still retains the appearance of the Five Dynasties, and is one of the three existing Five Dynasties buildings in Chinese Buddhist temples. The Five Dynasties colored sculptures of Zhen Guo Temple are the only remaining unique works in the country. The 11 Five Dynasties statues in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas are all lifelike and vivid. It is the only Five Dynasties work preserved in the temples across the country. You can take bus 209 from both the south and north gates of the ancient city.

Zhen Guo Temple is located 15 kilometers northeast of Pingyao County, Shanxi Province, in Hao Dong Village. It was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province in 1965, a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988, and was listed as a World Cultural Heritage as an important part of the ancient city of Pingyao in 1997. Zhen Guo Temple, originally named Jing Cheng Temple, was renamed Zhen Guo Temple during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and has been used ever since. The temple is divided into two courtyards, the front courtyard has the mountain gate, the king's hall and the left and right bell and drum towers, the middle is the main hall also known as the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, the back courtyard is the Guanyin Hall in the east, the Jizo Hall in the west, each with five rooms, and the Three Buddha Hall in the middle. Zhen Guo Temple, divided into two temples, has a total area of 10892 square meters. On the central axis, there are buildings such as the Heavenly King Hall, Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, and Three Buddha Tower. In the front courtyard, there are bell towers, drum towers, and halls of the Three Spirits, Wealth God, Erlang, and Earth on both sides. In the back courtyard, there are Arhat Hall, Yama Hall and other halls. The Heavenly King Hall, located at the front end of the temple, has four statues of Heavenly Kings, each with a majestic demeanor and full face. The Heavenly King Hall, with a single-eave Xieshan style roof, is a Yuan Dynasty building. On both sides of the Heavenly King Hall, the bell and drum towers stand opposite each other. The bell tower has a iron bell cast in the fifth year of the Golden Dynasty (1145 AD), which is elegant in shape, unique in craftsmanship, and a rare object in Pingyao County. From the inscriptions in the temple, it is known that during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the mountain gate, the king's hall, the bell and drum towers were created in the front, and the Three Buddha Tower and the east and west corridor rooms, Guanyin, and Jizo Halls were built in the back.

Zhen Guo Temple is a temple from the Five Dynasties period, which was first built in the seventh year of Tianhui in the Northern Han Dynasty (963 AD), and has been renovated and rebuilt many times during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The precious wooden structure of the Wanfo Hall from the Five Dynasties, with its complex structure, is the main highlight. The 14 Buddha statues in the Wanfo Hall are gorgeous and dazzling, influenced by the Tang Dynasty's colored sculpture style, their faces tend to be more human-like. They are the only sculptures left from the Five Dynasties period in China, apart from the Mogao Caves. The Yuan Dynasty murals in the Three Buddha Tower are also realistic and interesting, worth a closer look.

The Wanxiang Temple of Zhenguo Temple outside the ancient city of Pingyao was built in the 7th year of the Northern Han Dynasty in the Five Dynasties and Ten States. It has a history of more than 1,000 years and is one of the oldest existing wooden structures in China. Nanchan Temple and Foguang Temple, which are later than Wutai Mountain in Shanxi, are ranked third. As a short period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms between the late Tang and the Song Dynasties, this Buddhist temple still retains a strong Tang Dynasty style. The single mountain is far-reaching and beautifully shaped, giving a majestic and imposing artistic beauty. Known as the "Millennium Treasure." It is commendable that the Wanfo Hall still retains the perfect five-generation color plastic sculptures. These colorful sculptures are original works of the Northern Han Dynasty Tianhui during the establishment of the temple. It is the only remaining five generations of colorful plastic products in addition to Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. "Rare treasures", to be precious.