Longmen Temple: A Temple Spanning Six Dynasties

Longmen Temple, originally named Fahua Temple, is located on the mountainside of Longmen Mountain, north of Yuantou Village, Pingshun County, Changzhi City. According to inscriptions, it was founded during the Tianbao period of the Northern Qi Dynasty. It was expanded during the Later Tang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty. During the Taiping Xingguo period of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was renamed Longmen Temple by imperial decree. In the first year of Jianlong (960), the temple reached its peak, with "hundreds of halls and houses." It was rebuilt in the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The West Side Hall is a relic of the Five Dynasties, the Mahavira Hall is a relic of the Song Dynasty, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings is a relic of the Jin Dynasty, the Hall of the Burning Lamp Buddha is a relic of the Yuan Dynasty, the East Side Hall is a relic of the Ming Dynasty, and the rest are relics of the Qing Dynasty. The temple faces south and west at a 30° angle, built on the mountain according to the terrain, with a three-entry courtyard and side courtyards in the east and west. The main courtyard axis is the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, and the Hall of the Burning Lamp Buddha, with corridors, side halls, and bell towers on both sides; the East Courtyard contains the Holy Monk Hall, the Water and Land Hall, and the Zen Hall; and the West Courtyard contains monks' residences, warehouses, etc. There are two Chinese white pines at the foot of the mountain gate that are more than 830 years old, and there is an oriental arborvitae in front of the West Side Hall in the first courtyard that is more than 1,450 years old, which proves the long history of Longmen Temple.