Xuzhou Pingshan Temple

Xuzhou Pingshan Temple

Xuzhou Pingshan Temple is a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.

Xuzhou Pingshan Temple is located on the north side of Pingshankou in Jiuli Mountain, Gulou District, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is one of the eight famous temples in Xuzhou’s history and is designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.

Pingshan Temple was first built in 629 AD (the third year of the Zhenguan era during the Tang Dynasty). At that time, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, ordered the construction of temples on various battlefields “to commemorate military achievements” and “to honor the fallen,” leading to the establishment of Xuzhou Pingshan Temple and the Merit Pagoda. The emperor also bestowed the temple’s plaque. Originally named “Four-Faced Buddha Temple,” it was rebuilt and renamed “Pingshan Temple” in 1343 AD (the third year of the Zhizheng era during the Yuan Dynasty).

Pingshan Temple is a serene thousand-year-old temple. In ancient times, it was a major temple in Xuzhou, with Shuangfeng Temple at Tiger Mountain and Baiyun Temple on Tuan Mountain serving as its branch temples. During the Qing Dynasty, it was the upper monastery of Xinghua Chan Temple on Yunlong Mountain and enjoyed even greater fame than the latter. The original structures of the temple were grand in scale, but after centuries of weathering, most had deteriorated before the 2005 renovation. Nonetheless, the once-magnificent size of the temple is still evident from its surviving architectural framework. The temple enjoys an exceptionally favorable location, and incense offerings here have remained popular throughout history.