Xingtai Tianning Temple

Xingtai Tianning Temple

Xingtai Tianning Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Commonly known as the West Grand Temple, Xingtai Tianning Temple is a renowned temple in Xingtai. Facing the Kaiyuan Temple—known as the East Grand Temple—across the city, it is one of only two surviving Yuan Dynasty buildings in Hebei Province. Its golden roof and glazed tiles represent an architectural specification that is truly unique.

According to historical records, the Yuan Dynasty Tianning Temple was called a grand temple, known as "Great Tianning Temple." The original complex included the Four Heavenly Kings Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Water Hall, the Pagoda of Master Xuzhao, as well as a large number of stone carvings from various dynasties.

The temple originally covered an area of over 40 acres, featuring a front hall, main hall, and rear hall, along with ancillary structures such as a bell tower, drum tower, and stele forest. Due to historical reasons, only the front hall of Tianning Temple remains today. This hall was rebuilt in the early Yuan Dynasty and is one of the few surviving Yuan Dynasty buildings in northern China. It showcases typical architectural features of the period, is the oldest existing wooden structure in Xingtai, and holds significant historical and artistic value.

This historic temple, first built in the Tang Dynasty, was designated as a “Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Hebei Province” by the People's Government of Hebei Province in 1993. It was also the place where Liu Bingzhong, an eminent Yuan Dynasty prince and imperial tutor, first became a monk.

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relics Protection Units in Hebei Province