#Wangu Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Temples
Address:
Yongji, Yuncheng, Shanxi, China
Opening times:
Opens at 08:30-17:00(Admission ends at 16:30)Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
1 hour
The travel guide to Wangu Temple is here, go check it out with your family
Wangu Temple, founded during the Yuan and Wei dynasties, is originally named 'Yao Zai Temple' according to the 'Yongji County Chronicles'. After renovations during the Sui dynasty, it was renamed Wangu Temple, symbolizing 'eternal solidity'. The Tang dynasty poet Geng Hui once left the verse 'Clouds part in the middle of the night, a thousand villages in silence; the moon rises over the central peak, illuminating a myriad of ravines'. The poet Liu Shiqi also wrote the beautiful lines 'A green shade forms over a bamboo path, the wind chimes on the pagoda sound like music from beyond the heavens'.
There are many Buddhist pagodas in Wangu Temple, among which the earliest, the Multi-Treasure Buddhist Pagoda, was built in 522 AD and is one of the earliest Buddhist pagodas in Chinese tower architecture. There is also the 'Beamless Hall' built against the cliff from east to west on the east side of the ancient pagoda. Designed by the architectural master and Zen master Miaofeng, it takes a different approach by using bricks for construction, with the top shaped like a dome caisson.
The most eye-catching feature is the three huge hemispherical domed ceilings on the second floor of the Wuliang Hall, which are cleverly decorated with imitation bracket sets made of bricks on the inner surface, setting a precedent for the use of brick caisson bracket set decorations in religious buildings. The application of this elongated hemispherical dome load-bearing roof technique in religious buildings is a good continuation of China's traditional brick arch technology, creating a magnificent bracket set decorated dome caisson ceiling, elevating bricklaying to an ultimate state, and its preservation to this day is astonishing.
Tips:
The entrance is free, and compared to other popular temples, this place is more serene and the historical relics are well-preserved. It is very worthwhile to spend half a day to a full day here for a detailed visit. The cats raised by the monks in the temple are also very quiet and friendly, very adorable.
√ The opening hours in summer are from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm; in winter, the opening hours are from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
The Culinary Wayfarer
China's premier Zen monastery - Wangu Temple
🚙 It wasn't originally planned, but after seeing the introduction to the sights of Yongji under the Stork Tower, I added the not-too-distant Wangu Temple on a whim.
⛩️ Wangu Temple was founded in 522 AD, the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has a history of over 1500 years. It is a sacred place of Zen Buddhism. At its peak, there were as many as 5000 lay Buddhists living here, earning it the nickname 'Little Wutai'. It has been praised by many high monks as the 'premier Zen monastery'.
🛕 The Multitreasure Pagoda of Wangu Temple
The Multitreasure Pagoda of Wangu Temple was originally built in the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty. After Puzhou experienced a major earthquake, which people called 'the sky falling on Puzhou', the pagoda collapsed in the earthquake. The current Multitreasure Pagoda was rebuilt during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, with the then Prime Minister Zhang Siwei inscribing the plaque 'Multitreasure Pagoda', which is still clearly recognizable today.
The Multitreasure Pagoda is 54.666 meters high, with eight sides, eight edges, and an octagonal shape with thirteen levels, and is known as 'China's number one pagoda', predating the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an by 130 years. It has been extensively recorded in the poetry of famous poets from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It is listed as a key national cultural relic protected by the eighth batch.
📍 Address: 1.5 kilometers west of the Yongji West exit of the Yunfeng Expressway in Puzhou Town, Yongji City, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province
🈺️ Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 (entry stops at 16:30)
🎫 Ticket: Free admission
Sophia Harris
Wanggu Temple in Yongji, Shanxi (Northern Wei Dynasty)
Wanggu Temple, located 300 meters south of Shengli Village, Guxin Zhuang, Puzhou Town, Yongji City, faces east and west, built against the mountain. It is 200 meters long from east to west, 100 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of 20,000 square meters.
In October 2019, Wanggu Temple in Yongji was designated by the State Council as the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.
According to inscriptions in the temple, Wanggu Temple was founded in the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (522 AD), rebuilt in the eighth year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (854 AD), became a famous temple in Hedong during the Song Dynasty, underwent multiple renovations during the Hongwu and Tianshun eras of the Ming Dynasty, was destroyed by an earthquake in the thirty-fourth year of the Jiajing era (1555 AD), and was rebuilt during the Wanli era (1573-1620 AD), forming its present layout.
Wanggu Temple is built on a mountain, with a brick plaque inscribed with 'The First Zen Forest' above the mountain gate. Entering the gate leads to the Mahavira Hall, also known as the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a brick and stone structure from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, with solemn walls but no surviving Buddha statues. Ascending the stone steps beside the temple, in the middle is the Medicine Buddha Cave with five rooms, each with a door and three bracket sets with five brackets each, housing the Medicine Buddha. Further up is the Pagoda Courtyard, surrounded by carved walls, with the Sakyamuni Pagoda standing in the center, an octagonal plane thirteen-tiered dense-eave style brick pagoda, 54.6 meters high. The pagoda is made of blue bricks and has a significant taper from top to bottom. The temple preserves 22 steles from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and four stone carvings of the Pilu Pavilion's water and land. The bottom layer of the pagoda has a door on the south side, with a spiral staircase inside, leading to the top. From afar, the southward flow of the Yellow River resembles a winding golden belt.
Behind the pagoda is the Infinite Hall, five bays wide and two stories high, housing the Infinite Life Buddha. The hall is made of blue bricks, carved with floral patterns and bracket sets, and has no beam structure, commonly known as the Beamless Hall.
The last structure in the temple is the Arhat Hall, near the mountain peak. The temple originally housed sixty-three celestial images painted by Wu Zhou Cao of the Tang Dynasty, which have long since perished. Now, four engraved Arhat images remain, vivid in expression, retaining the legacy of the Tang Dynasty.
SeekingNewHorizons
Yongji Wangu Temple in Shanxi
Yongji Wangu Temple is located in Luyu Village, Puzhou Town, Yongji City. According to the inscription, the temple was established in the third year of Zhengguang of the Northern Wei Dynasty (522), rebuilt in the eighth year of Dazhong of the Tang Dynasty (854), and was a famous temple in Hedong during the Song Dynasty. It was rebuilt many times during the Hongwu and Tianshun periods of the Ming Dynasty. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 34th year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1555), and was rebuilt during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620), known as the "First Zen Forest in Zhongtiao". The original central axis from west to east includes the bell tower, drum tower, Daxiong Hall, Yaoshi Cave, Shuilu Hall, Duobao Buddha Pagoda, Wuliang Hall, Sutra Collection Pavilion, etc. There were originally Wangu Sub-Temple, East and West Monk Temples, and Arhat Hall on the south side. Only Yaoshi Cave, Duobao Buddha Pagoda, and Wuliang Hall are left, which are of Ming Dynasty architectural style. On October 7, 2019, it was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
VictoriaMcDermott99
Journey to Shanxi—Wangu Temple in Yongji
Wangu Temple, founded in the third year of Zhengguang in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 522), has a history of 1500 years.
According to the 'Yongji County Chronicles', it was originally named 'Caizai Temple'. After being rebuilt in the Sui Dynasty, it was renamed Wangu Temple, meaning 'eternal for thousands of years'.
During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the court incorporated nearby temples into Wangu Temple, making it a grand and highly revered Buddhist holy land, known as the 'first Zen forest in Zhongtiao'.
Tang Dynasty poet Geng Hui left the verse 'Clouds open at midnight, a thousand villages are quiet, the moon rises in the middle peak, ten thousand ravines are bright' here. Poet Liu Shiqi wrote the beautiful lines 'A bamboo path is shaded green, the wind chimes on the tower sound beyond the sky'.
There are many Buddhist pagodas in Wangu Temple, the earliest of which, the Duobao Buddhist Pagoda, was built in AD 522 and is the earliest Buddhist pagoda in Chinese tower architecture. There is also the 'Beamless Hall' built against the cliff on the east side of the ancient pagoda, facing west. It was designed by the architectural master and monk Miaofeng, who took a unique approach and built it entirely with bricks, with the top forming a dome-shaped caisson.
The most eye-catching is the three huge hemispherical domes inside the second floor of the Wuliang Hall, which are cleverly decorated with imitation bracket arch bricks, setting a precedent for the use of brick caisson and bracket arch decoration in religious buildings. The application of this elongated hemispherical dome load-bearing roof technology in religious buildings has well inherited China's traditional brick arch technology, forming a gorgeous bracket arch decorated dome caisson, elevating bricklaying technology to an extreme state, and its preservation to this day is astonishing.
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Tips:
The admission is free, compared to other popular temples, it is more quiet here, and the ancient relics are well preserved. It's worth spending half a day to a full day for a detailed visit. The cats kept by the monks in the temple are also very quiet and friendly, very cute.
The opening hours in summer are 6:30 am to 7:00 pm, and in winter are 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.