Haicheng Sanshi Temple

Haicheng Sanshi Temple

Haicheng Sanshi Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Sanshi Temple is located in the southwest corner of Haicheng and was first built during the Ming Dynasty. The entire complex consists of the mountain gate, front hall, middle hall, rear hall (scripture depository), east and west side rooms, and meditation hall. It covers a construction area of 219.4 square meters and an overall area of approximately 5,700 square meters. It was renovated during the Baozheng period of the Ming Dynasty. The building features a hip-and-gable roof style, with nine ridges. In front of the mountain gate stand two stone lions, majestic and imposing on either side.

In recent years, due to continuous renovations by the temple’s abbot and the chanting of Taoist priests, the temple receives around 18,000 visitors and worshippers annually. On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, incense burning is especially popular. Sanshi Temple is the only Buddhist academy in the northeastern region.

　Both the front and rear halls are hip-and-gable roof structures made of brick and wood, while the scripture depository has two floors and features a flush gable roof style. The entire architectural layout is harmonious and majestic, with exquisite wood carvings and bright color tones. The brick carvings—such as the five ridges and six beasts, and the “two dragons playing with a pearl”—are vivid and lifelike.

　The front hall is 15 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 14 meters high, and was renovated during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty. It has a hip-and-gable roof with nine ridges. The gable walls rest below the roof eaves, supported by sturdy pillars, with overhanging eaves extending outward. The brackets under the eaves are relatively large, interlocking and supporting each other, representing a classic traditional ancient Chinese architectural system.

　The middle hall is 20 meters long, 13 meters wide, and 17 meters high, and was renovated during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. Its architectural style is largely similar to the front hall, but the bracket decorations under the eaves are more prominent, featuring intricate carvings of dragons, flying eaves, pearls, and whiskers, giving it a unique charm.

　The rear hall is a two-story scripture depository, flanked by nine-bay side halls on the east and west, and a three-bay mountain gate. The front of the gate’s gable is stone-carved, and the back is brick-carved, both with exquisite craftsmanship.

　The ancient architectural complex of Sanshi Temple was built during the Ming Dynasty. The temple still houses a monument erected in the tenth year of the Xuande era, and through renovations and additions across dynasties, it has reached its current grand scale.

　The term “Sanshi” is a Buddhist term meaning “Three Studies”: the first is the study of precepts to curb evil and cultivate virtue; the second is the study of meditation to calm the mind and achieve clarity; the third is the study of wisdom to dispel confusion and realize the truth. These three studies are inseparable, hence the name “Sanshi Temple.” The temple was damaged during the campaign against the “Four Olds,” when the roof ornaments and celestial dog statues of the front and middle halls were destroyed, and most of the roof tiles were shattered. On February 4, 1975, a strong earthquake struck Haicheng, damaging the temple’s walls and corners. After the quake, the government allocated funds for repairs, but in 1982, a fire destroyed the middle hall. Seven Ming and Qing stone steles remain in the temple. In 1989, it was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Liaoning Province