Wuan Shouning Temple

Wuan Shouning Temple

Wuan Shouning Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shouning Temple, located in Wuan City, Hebei Province, sits at the foot of Zhongyan Mountain north of Bailu Temple Village; backed by Zhongyan Mountain and fronted by a clear river, it boasts picturesque scenery with beautiful mountains and waters. The temple is not large and can be considered a small one, covering just over an acre, with a layout slightly different from the current structure. The main hall has three bays, featuring bright pillars and a long corridor, the east hall has about four rooms, the south hall is slightly smaller with three rooms, and the west hall is a long building.

Shouning Temple is situated at the foot of Zhongyan Mountain north of Bailu Temple Village. According to a damaged stele from the 42nd year of the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty (1614 AD), Shouning Temple “faces Black Sheep Mountain to the south and leans against Meigui Fortress to the north...” It is said that Shouning Temple was established during the late Tang and early Five Dynasties period. It was renovated in the 7th year of the Zhengtong era in the Ming Dynasty and again in the 42nd year of the Wanli era. The main hall was rebuilt in 1995, with further renovations carried out in 1997 and 1998. There are two documented sources: one is the damaged stele in the temple, indicating its prosperity during the Later Zhou and Later Liang dynasties — that is, the Later Zhou and Later Liang of the Five Dynasties period following the Tang Dynasty. The other is the Wuan County Annals compiled during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, which records that “Shouning Temple is in Bailu Village and was repaired in the 7th year of the Zhengtong era.” If the first record is credible, it is quite possible that the temple was built during the Tang Dynasty, as the damaged stele is believed to be from before the Yuan Dynasty. The second record confirms that the temple was renovated in the 7th year of the Zhengtong era (1442 AD), just over 70 years after the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368 AD, proving that the temple was not built in the early Ming period. Based on these records, it is plausible that Shouning Temple was built during the Tang Dynasty.

The exact year of Shouning Temple’s establishment and the identity of its founding abbot are now unknown, but the site selection was quite excellent. Backed by Zhongyan Mountain and fronted by a clear river, it can be described as having beautiful mountain and water scenery. Given the circumstances at the time, the temple was built halfway up the mountain, with the Zhongyan Mountain range behind it and the Qinghe mountain ranges to the south. For some reason, the temple was not built very large and can be considered a small one, covering just over an acre, with a layout slightly different from the current structure. The main hall has three bays, featuring bright pillars and a long corridor, the east hall (now positioned slightly farther back than its original location) has about four rooms, the south hall is slightly smaller with three rooms, and the west hall is a long building. The main hall houses a large Buddha statue, the east hall is dedicated to Guan Yu, the south hall to the King of Hell, and the west hall serves as monk quarters. To the east of the south hall and the south side of the east hall is the main gate. Outside the gate, along the back wall of the south hall heading west, at the southern end of the west hall is the mountain gate (i.e., the current main gate), with the south side of the hall situated against a cliff.