Wu'an Tianqing Temple

Wu'an Tianqing Temple

Wu'an Tianqing Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Tianqing Temple is located in Cuilu Village, Cishan Town, 20 kilometers southwest of Wu'an City. It is a Buddhist structure. The temple faces south and follows a north-south central axis layout. It was built in the third year of the Tianshun era during the Ming Dynasty (1459). This temple is relatively large, and its original structures included the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Buddha Hall, Water-Land Hall, King of Hell Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, covering an area of approximately 20,000 square meters. It flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties but gradually fell into disuse after the Republican era. Most of the temple buildings were destroyed before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the site was later occupied by a school, grain station, and power distribution room. Only the Great Buddha Hall remains, and it is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The only remaining hall is the main building of the temple, situated in the middle of the central axis, facing south. It features a brick, stone, and wood structure with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof adorned with glazed tile edges. The hall is five bays wide (18.1 meters long) and four bays deep (12.3 meters wide), covering a floor area of 315 square meters, with a building height of 11 meters. The beam framework consists of double-layered heavy beams supporting a five-rafter beam, with five-curved bracket sets featuring double downward ang on the front and rear eaves. Interior and exterior columns extend out as cantilevered posts, and the ridge purlin columns use fork-hand construction. Both side walls and the rear wall are made of brick, while the front wall consists of lattice windows, with all columns being stone. The hall exhibits significant architectural and archaeological value due to techniques such as "column reduction and relocation" and the "large upward curve and diagonal thrust of the rear ends of ang and tou."

Regarding the temple's founding date, the 1940 edition of the *Wuan County Annals* records it as the third year of the Tianshun era in the Ming Dynasty. However, multiple investigations and surveys suggest it predates the Ming Dynasty. Features such as column reduction and relocation, the upward curve of the building, and the diagonal thrust of the rear ends of the fork-hand and tou all represent pre-Ming architectural forms, preserving early techniques and craftsmanship from before the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, it is determined that the building could date back as late as the Yuan Dynasty or even earlier. Detailed carvings and bracket ang tips appear to be from the Ming Dynasty or the result of major Ming renovations, with further repairs carried out during the Qing Dynasty.

In 2003, the main hall underwent dismantling and reconstruction. From 2004 to 2009, the Heavenly King Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, and East and West Side Halls were restored and rebuilt.

Transportation Guide

Location: Cuilu Village, Cishan Town, Wu'an City, Hebei Province

Transit: Take a bus from Wu'an bound for Majia Village, get off at Cuilu Village along the way via Cishan.