Chang’an Temple in Shenyang

Chang’an Temple in Shenyang

Chang’an Temple in Shenyang is a cultural relics protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Situated at No. 6, Chang’an Temple Lane, Chaoyang Street, Shenhe District, it is the oldest architectural complex in Shenyang. It is said to have been built during the Tang Dynasty, giving rise to the folk saying: “Chang’an Temple came before Shenyang City.” In 1988, it was announced as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.

The temple covers an area of approximately 5,000 square meters, with a building area of 2,000 square meters. The exact year of Chang’an Temple’s initial construction is unknown. According to inscriptions within the temple, it was renovated in the seventh year of the Yongle era during the Ming Dynasty (1409), followed by further repairs in the second year of the Tianshun era (1458), the twenty-third year of the Chenghua era (1487), and multiple restorations during the Qing Dynasty. Historically, the temple enjoyed periods of flourishing incense offerings, but by the late Qing Dynasty, it had gradually declined and eventually fallen into disuse, with the buildings also deteriorating. In the twenty-first year of the Daoguang era (1842), merchants from money shops and lending houses donated funds to renovate Chang’an Temple and converted it into a financial trading venue.

The temple faces south and is a three-courtyard quadrangle compound. From south to north along the central axis, there are sequentially arranged structures including the mountain gate, the Heavenly King Hall, the stage, the worship hall, the main hall, and the rear hall. On both sides of the central axis are symmetrically placed side rooms and bell and drum towers, all with hip-and-gable roofs and built on brick-raised platforms. The Heavenly King Hall has three bays and a flush-gable roof. The stage is closely connected to the Heavenly King Hall, with one bay and a flush-gable hip-roof. The worship hall also features a flush-gable hip-roof and is a three-bay open hall. On the left and right sides are side halls, each with five bays and overhanging eaves at the front. The worship hall and side halls, as well as the side halls and the stage, are connected by winding corridors. The main hall has three bays and a hip-and-gable roof, sharing a 50-centimeter-high platform base with the worship hall. As the principal structure of Chang’an Temple, the main hall is the largest in scale and most magnificent in design. The rear hall is located at the northernmost part of the temple complex, with three bays and a hip-and-gable roof. The wooden components of the temple structures—such as beams, pillars, brackets, architraves, purlins, rafters, brackets, and other elements—are all crafted with refined detail and exhibit delicate carvings, giving the building a graceful and elegant appearance. The temple also preserves numerous inscribed tablets from the Qing Dynasty, among which the inscription recording the renovation by the Yinhang and Jiedaihang merchant guilds in the twenty-first year of the Daoguang era (1842) is particularly notable. It provides important material for studying the early financial industry in Shenyang and is a valuable historical document for researching the origin of the early financial industry in the old city of Shenyang.

In 1985, the Shenyang Municipal People’s Government listed Chang’an Temple as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit and allocated funds for its renovation. In 1988, it was listed as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Liaoning Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units