[2025 Shijiazhuang Attraction] Travel Guide for Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple Museum (Updated Apr)

Shijiazhuang actually has two museums There are also some national security guards, which need to be arranged. Depart from Beijing on weekends Catch the train after get off work on Friday It's said to be three days, but it's actually only two days. Day 1: After get off work on Friday, I took a train from Beijing to Shijiazhuang in about an hour. Have dinner and check in to the hotel Chef Sun's Pigeon House (Ziqiang Road Branch) → Hilton Hotel Shijiazhuang Day 2: I rented a car online in advance and it was delivered to the hotel on Saturday morning. Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple Museum→Zhaozhou Bridge Scenic Area Ancient Bridge Exhibition Hall→Lu Baiwei (Zhao County Store)→Berlin Zen Temple→Daguan Shengzuo Monument→Dharani Sutra Pillar (Under maintenance, not seen)→Yongtong Bridge Park Day 3: The Hebei Museum is across the road from the hotel After breakfast, we started the tour at around 9 o'clock and returned to the hotel at 1:30 in the afternoon. Request for late check-out until 14:00 upon check-in I took a taxi to the train station and just caught the 3 o'clock train back to Beijing, perfect! Hilton Shijiazhuang Hotel→Hebei Museum 🔥Recommended check-in Hebei Museum: Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple Museum: The murals are very beautiful Berlin Zen Temple: So magnificent that you want to become a monk Zhaozhou Bridge: The Lesson Learned Comes True Yongtong Bridge: The first batch of national protection, more ancient than Zhaozhou Bridge

🏯🌸🌿🌲 I checked in at Pilu Temple in Shijiazhuang, and it was amazing! You must come and see it! Pilu Temple is located about 15 km northwest of Shijiazhuang City. It is a large Buddhist temple with a long history. According to records, the temple was built in the Tang Dynasty and has been repaired and expanded many times to form its current layout. 👀 After entering the temple, the first thing you see is a tall bell tower. Inside the bell tower is a huge bronze bell, which is said to be over a thousand years old. 👏👏👏 Walking along the central axis, you can see the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Pilu Hall, and other buildings. These buildings are all in the typical Tang Dynasty architectural style, simple and elegant, solemn and majestic. Among them, the Mahavira Hall is the core building of the temple, with three huge Buddha statues inside, which are very impressive. 👍👍👍 In addition to the buildings, there are many exquisite murals and carvings in Pilu Temple. These artworks not only show the superb skills of ancient craftsmen but also reflect the rich connotations of Buddhist culture. In particular, the "Twelve Bodhisattvas of Enlightenment" in the Pilu Hall is regarded as one of the treasures of Chinese Buddhist art. 👏👏👏 In addition, there are some attractions worth seeing around Pilu Temple. For example, on the east side of the temple is the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall," which houses tens of thousands of small Buddha statues, making you feel like you are in a maze of Buddhist art. 👀 On the west side of the temple is a dense bamboo forest, which is a quiet place for visitors to rest and take photos. 📸📸📸 In short, Pilu Temple is not only a Buddhist temple with important historical, cultural, and artistic value but also a tourist destination that integrates sightseeing, leisure, and cultural experience. You must come and see it when you have time. It is definitely worth the trip! 😍😍😍

[Land of Yanzhao·Shijiazhuang·Huadong murals are awe-inspiring] "So close, so beautiful", I have passed Shijiazhuang countless times, and even when I made a special trip to the ancient city of Zhengding, I never said I must go to this small place, although I know it is quite famous. It has the rare Ming Dynasty water and land paintings that combine Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in China, known as the best water and land murals, and one of the "Four Great Murals in Ancient China", as famous as the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, the Fahai Temple in Beijing, and the Yongle Palace murals in Shanxi. I have also seen many murals in temples and monasteries of all sizes in China, including water and land paintings. The water and land paintings I saw at the Princess Temple in Fanshi, Shanxi last year were already magnificent. However, when you approach the Pilu Hall of Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple, and when your eyes slowly get used to the dark environment, it will only take a few minutes for you to be amazed by the magnificent masterpiece before your eyes. You can even ignore the religious content and storyline of the murals. Look at the layout of the more than 500 characters of all sizes, their faces, expressions, clothes, lines, and colors. Of course, if you know a little more about religious knowledge, painting techniques, and the content of the pictures, you will be completely immersed in it and don't want to leave. There is only natural light in the hall and it is very stuffy. Taking photos and using flashlights are not allowed. I discussed it with the lady guarding the door of the hall and after getting permission, I took a few distant views as a souvenir. Next time I pass by Shijiazhuang, I will come again! Tips: Murals of Pilu Temple in Shijiazhuang The murals in the Pilu Hall are very different from the "Chao Yuan Tu" in the Yongle Palace in Ruicheng, Shanxi, which simply depicts Taoist murals from the Yuan Dynasty, or the "Lifo Tu" in the Fahai Temple in Beijing, which simply depicts Buddhist murals from the Ming Dynasty. The scene is extremely grand, with not only Buddhist gods and Buddhas, the Ten Great Bodhisattvas, the gods, arhats, guardian gods, etc.; there are also Taoist systems such as the Five Mountains and Four Rivers, the Emperor's Stars, the Six Dings and Six Jias, and the Twenty-Eight Constellations; there are also ancient figures, such as emperors, bureaucrats, civil officials and military generals, concubines, female officials, righteous women and other Confucian portraits. These 508 figures are all carefully drawn with traditional fine brushwork and heavy color outlining and filling method, with complete types of outlining lines. The painters handle different lines with different skills, giving each character not only rich and vivid expressions with distinct personalities, but also the charm of "Wu Dai Dang Feng": fluttering ribbons, fluttering folds in the wind, flowing colorful clouds... What is most commendable is the overall composition and layout of the murals. They all have a general rhythm and rhyme. Although they are grouped in three or five, most of the contents have clear inscriptions, so they can be independent. Such a structure with a main and a subordinate and diverse changes can be called a masterpiece of ancient painting, which is amazing. 📝Note tips: No taking photos📷, no using flashlights🔦

Shijiazhuang city Hides a "Little Dunhuang" It might not be quite right to call it Little Dunhuang, because the water and land murals of Pilu Temple are one of the four great murals in China, as famous as the Dunhuang murals. However, it's quite strange that there are no tourists here at all, and the parking lot at the entrance can only fit about five cars. The temple only has two main halls, yet they are filled with vibrant murals. The content of the murals involves Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, featuring loyal ministers, virtuous generals, chaste women, heroic ladies, immortal couples, demons and monsters... The upper, middle, and lower tiers depict the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity, with hundreds of mythological characters starring in a grand assembly of deities‼️ 🖼️Mural Features The hundreds of characters are not only lifelike, but each one has a name and a surname, like a police station's roster... It looks high-end, but is actually very down-to-earth. It would be even more perfect if it were written in simplified Chinese. 📸Highlights 1️⃣ Shakyamuni Hall: The front features one Buddha with two disciples, and the back has colored sculptures of Samantabhadra, Avalokitesvara, and Manjushri, the three Bodhisattvas sharing one niche, unique to this place. 2️⃣ Pilu Hall: The central figure is Pilu Buddha, flanked by attendant Bodhisattvas, where the water and land murals are located, a grand assembly of deities scene. Be sure to pick a sunny day to visit, as the hall relies entirely on natural light for illumination. Dare to use your phone, and the administrator will pummel you in minutes... 💁🏻Some Reflections The murals of Pilu Temple are already stunning enough, there's no need to use the legend of Tang Bohu painting here in the past to increase its value. I find that many mural-related ancient sites like to associate themselves with famous painters like Gu Kaizhi, Wu Daozi, and Tang Bohu, which always seems like they're trying to gain glory by association. Look at Dunhuang, it never mentions Zhang Daqian...

An Artistic Journey Across Thousands of Years——Hebei｜One of the Four Great Murals in Ancient China at Pilu Temple in Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple, a thousand-year-old temple built during the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty Hebei｜The Pilu Temple in Shijiazhuang is a thousand-year-old temple built during the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1,200 years. It has witnessed the prosperity and development of ancient Chinese culture and carries the efforts and wisdom of countless artists. Here, you can feel the charm of ancient mural art and appreciate the connotation of traditional Chinese culture. Mountain gate, Sakyamuni Hall, Pilu Hall, bell tower, drum tower and cultural relics exhibition hall The main buildings of Pilu Temple include the mountain gate, Sakya Hall, Pilu Hall, bell tower, drum tower and cultural relics exhibition hall. The mountain gate, as the entrance to the temple, is solemn and dignified; the Sakya Hall is where the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, is enshrined; and the Vairocana Buddha is enshrined in the Vairocana Hall, hence the name Vairocana Temple. In addition, the bell tower and drum tower are used for telling time and praying respectively; the cultural relics exhibition hall displays the historical relics and mural art of the Pilu Temple. The treasure of Pilu Temple The mural art in Pilu Temple can be regarded as one of the four major murals in ancient China. These murals are based on Buddhist stories, with bright colors, smooth lines and vivid images. In the murals, you can see the compassionate face of the Buddha, the dignified posture of the Bodhisattva, the magical powers of the Arhats, and the bravery and majesty of the guardian gods. These murals not only demonstrate the superb skills of ancient artists, but also convey the spiritual connotation of Buddhism. Inheritance and promotion Pilu Temple is not only a temple with a long history, but also a museum with rich cultural connotations. Here, you can learn about the development of ancient mural art and experience the profoundness of Buddhist culture. At the same time, Pilu Temple is also committed to the inheritance and promotion of mural art, leaving behind valuable intangible cultural heritage for future generations. A cultural destination worth visiting Hebei｜Piercing Temple in Shijiazhuang is a cultural attraction worth visiting. Here, you can appreciate the treasures of ancient mural art and feel the charm of Buddhist culture. At the same time, Pilu Temple is also a good place for leisure and entertainment. You can relax in the quiet temple, away from the hustle and bustle. Come to Pilu Temple and start an artistic journey that spans thousands of years!