Zhenguo Temple

Zhenguo Temple was first built in the seventh year of Tianhui during the Northern Han Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period (963 AD). Initially named 'Jingcheng Temple,' it was renamed 'Zhenguo Temple' during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and has retained this name to the present day. The temple has undergone multiple renovations and reconstructions during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The existing temple complex consists of two courtyards, facing south with the main structures oriented north. Among the existing wooden structures in China, Pingyao's Zhenguo Temple is second only to the Nanchan and Foguang Temples on Mount Wutai, making it one of the oldest wooden structures in China. The earliest building in the complex is the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Despite numerous renovations over the centuries, it still retains the style of the Five Dynasties period and is one of the three existing Five Dynasties structures in Chinese Buddhist temples. The colored sculptures within are the only surviving Five Dynasties works in temple halls across the country. The eaves of the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas extend nearly 2 meters. The hall's overall 'beam frame' structure is meticulously crafted, preserving the wooden architectural framework from over a thousand years ago during the Five Dynasties period (907-960 AD). Inside the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, visitors can admire 14 precious statues, 11 of which date back to the Five Dynasties period. Despite the passage of a millennium, these statues remain vividly colored and are masterpieces of ancient sculpture art. Among these statues, four statues of Bodhisattvas are particularly unique. Two seated Bodhisattvas are dressed in tightly fitted garments, with full cheeks, serenely seated on lotus pedestals; the other two Bodhisattvas stand casually to the side, with full figures and graceful 'S'-shaped curves, exuding a sense of freedom and embodying the delicate femininity characteristic of ancient women. This form contrasts sharply with the traditional, dignified image of Bodhisattvas, resembling more a graceful dancer. In the middle tower in front of the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, there is an iron bell from the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD). It is said that the bell's sound can be heard dozens of miles away in Pingyao City. The walls of the Three Buddhas Hall behind the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas are covered with vivid and detailed Buddhist story paintings from the Ming Dynasty.