Zhenguo Temple
Encyclopedia
Zhenguo Temple is a Buddhist temple located 10 km away from Pingyao
in the village of Hadongcun, in Shanxi Province, China
. The temple's oldest hall, the Wanfo Hall, was built in 963 during the Northern Han
dynasty, and is notable for featuring very large brackets that hold up the roof and flying eaves. The contemporary sculptures inside the hall are among the only examples of 10th century Buddhist sculpture in China.
county written in the 19th century. A stela written in 1819 also confirms this date. Wanfo Hall is the oldest building at Zhenguo temple, and is the only surviving building that dates from the short-lived Northern Han
dynasty. Although little is known of the temple's history, stelae record that it was renovated in 1540 and in 1816. In 1997, along with Pingyao city and Shuanglin Temple
, the Zhenguo temple was inscribed on the World Heritage
list as ‘Ancient City of Pingyao’.
. The northern courtyard also features two minor halls facing to the east and west called the Guanyin (观音殿) and Dizang Halls (地藏殿), which both date from the Ming Dynasty
. There are also two bell towers located on either side of the Tianwang Hall.
that have been implanted directly into the floor instead of on a stone pedestal
), the structure is quite complex. There are doors at the front and back of the hall. In addition, the front of the hall has two windows on either side of the door. There are twelve pillars supporting the structure. The corner and column-top brackets
holding up the roof are of the 7th degree
, the most complex and large type. These bracket sets are nearly 2.5 meters high – 70% the height of the column
s. Inter-columnar brackets that occur between every two pillars are of the 5th degree. The hall has no ceiling, and the upper and lower set of rafters are exposed. Nancy Steinhardt speculates that the complex brackets on what would have been a humble structure were an attempt by the Northern Han rulers to build a magnificent structure with limited resources.
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. There is a main statue of Sakyamuni flanked by Bodhisattvas and the Heavenly Kings.
Pingyao
Pingyao is a Chinese city and county in central Shanxi province, China. It lies about 715 km from Beijing and 80 km from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. During the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao was a financial center of China...
in the village of Hadongcun, in Shanxi Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The temple's oldest hall, the Wanfo Hall, was built in 963 during the Northern Han
Northern Han
The Northern Han kingdom is a state of the Ten Kingdoms in the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. It was founded by Liu Min , formerly known as Liu Chong , and lasted from 951 – 979.-Founding of the Northern Han:...
dynasty, and is notable for featuring very large brackets that hold up the roof and flying eaves. The contemporary sculptures inside the hall are among the only examples of 10th century Buddhist sculpture in China.
History
The history of the temple begins in 963, when it was recorded that Wanfo Hall (万佛殿) was built. The date is written on a beam in the hall, and is also the date given by a local history of PingyaoPingyao
Pingyao is a Chinese city and county in central Shanxi province, China. It lies about 715 km from Beijing and 80 km from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. During the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao was a financial center of China...
county written in the 19th century. A stela written in 1819 also confirms this date. Wanfo Hall is the oldest building at Zhenguo temple, and is the only surviving building that dates from the short-lived Northern Han
Northern Han
The Northern Han kingdom is a state of the Ten Kingdoms in the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. It was founded by Liu Min , formerly known as Liu Chong , and lasted from 951 – 979.-Founding of the Northern Han:...
dynasty. Although little is known of the temple's history, stelae record that it was renovated in 1540 and in 1816. In 1997, along with Pingyao city and Shuanglin Temple
Shuanglin Temple
The Shuanglin Temple , is a large Buddhist temple, part of the World Heritage Site of Pingyao, Shanxi province, China.-History:The temple is situated in the countryside about 7 kilometers southwest of the ancient city. It was originally founded in the 6th century during the Northern Wei period,...
, the Zhenguo temple was inscribed on the World Heritage
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
list as ‘Ancient City of Pingyao’.
Layout
The temple contains two main halls and a gate, with two courtyards in between the three buildings. There is a wall surrounding the entire complex. The temple opens to the south, with the Tianwang Hall (天王殿) acting as the temple’s gate. The next hall, to the north, is the Wanfo Hall, and the final hall is called Sanfo Hall (三佛殿), which dates from the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. The northern courtyard also features two minor halls facing to the east and west called the Guanyin (观音殿) and Dizang Halls (地藏殿), which both date from the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. There are also two bell towers located on either side of the Tianwang Hall.
Wanfo Hall
The most important hall in the temple is Wanfo Hall (Hall of 1000 Buddhas), one of China's oldest wooden buildings. It is a three-bay single-eaves hip and gabled hall that is nearly square in shape, measures 11.6 by 10.8 meters, and is 8.8 m high. Despite the building's small size, and features that would identify it as a regular hall (such as pillarsColumn
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
that have been implanted directly into the floor instead of on a stone pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
), the structure is quite complex. There are doors at the front and back of the hall. In addition, the front of the hall has two windows on either side of the door. There are twelve pillars supporting the structure. The corner and column-top brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
holding up the roof are of the 7th degree
Yingzao Fashi
The Yingzao Fashi is a technical treatise on architecture and craftsmanship written by the Chinese author Li Jie , the Directorate of Buildings and Construction during the mid Song Dynasty of China. A promising architect, he revised many older treatises on architecture from 1097 to 1100...
, the most complex and large type. These bracket sets are nearly 2.5 meters high – 70% the height of the column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s. Inter-columnar brackets that occur between every two pillars are of the 5th degree. The hall has no ceiling, and the upper and lower set of rafters are exposed. Nancy Steinhardt speculates that the complex brackets on what would have been a humble structure were an attempt by the Northern Han rulers to build a magnificent structure with limited resources.
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. There is a main statue of Sakyamuni flanked by Bodhisattvas and the Heavenly Kings.