Xuanzhen Temple

Xuanzhen Temple

Xuanzhen Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xuanzhen Temple is located on the north side of West Street in Gaixian County, Liaoning Province.

Xuanzhen Temple, also known as the "Temple of the Highest Deity," was first built in the 15th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1382). After suffering multiple instances of damage over time, only the main hall remains. The main hall is largely well-preserved, but due to the gradual elevation of the ground level in the courtyard over the centuries, the hall is now buried underground by more than half a meter. The hall is five bays wide, 15 meters long, four bays deep, and about 9.7 meters wide. The central three bays feature an especially spacious central bay, which is 5.6 meters long—twice as wide as the side bays (each 2.7 meters wide). It has a hip-and-gable roof, with large and sparsely arranged brackets, a gently sloping roof, and far-reaching eaves. The roof ridge is covered with carvings, including a bird-repelling fork at the top of the ridge-end ornaments. The ridge creatures include lions, xiezhi (mythical beasts), horses, oxen, sheep, and dogs, all vividly and lifelike in form. The beams and brackets are adorned with painted designs. Below the central ridge beam of the main hall, there is a wooden plaque inscribed with the text: “Erected on the auspicious date of April 29, the 15th year of the Hongwu reign of the Great Ming, supervised by officials and commoners of the prefecture.” Below the beam are also wooden plaques marking renovations carried out in the 56th year of the Qianlong reign (1791) and the 4th year of the Tongzhi reign (1865). The main hall underwent a major renovation in the 9th year of the Tiancong reign during the Later Jin Dynasty under Emperor Taizong (1635), and the roof tiles currently in place were replaced at that time. As a result, the carvings on the main ridge and the arrangement and design of the ridge creatures closely resemble those of the Dacheng Gate and Chongzheng Hall of the Shenyang Imperial Palace, which were built during the Tiancong era. The statues that once stood inside the hall have long been lost. (Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration)

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Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units