Duan Dian Emei Mountain Ancient Architectural Complex

Duan Dian Emei Mountain Ancient Architectural Complex

The Duan Dian Emei Mountain Ancient Architectural Complex is a cultural relic protection unit of Jinan City.

The Emei Mountain Ancient Architectural Complex is located on Emei Mountain west of Dajin Village, Duan Dian Town, Huaiyin District, Jinan City. It was built in the early Qing Dynasty by a person surnamed Jin from Dajin Village. Due to his devotion to Buddhism, he named it Da Bei Temple (meaning “Great Mercy”). During the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Er Xian Shrine was constructed on the southern side of the mountain, and during the Guangxu reign, the Wenchang Pavilion was built, gradually forming a temple complex consisting of the Da Shi Hall (main hall), east and west side halls, Wenchang Pavilion, bell and drum towers, and more. Later, the temple buildings gradually collapsed, and today only one main hall, the bell tower, and several damaged stone stelae remain. The main hall features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, with its southern wall covered by a layer of bluestone slabs, while the eastern and western gable walls are built of brick and stone, topped with black tiles. Currently, the top part has largely collapsed. The bell tower is a stone structure, designed in the form of a four-pillar, single-eave hip-and-gable pavilion, and is relatively well-preserved. Its plan is square, with a platform base constructed from strip stones and no column bases. Four square chamfered stone pillars stand on the base, with stone transverse beams at the tops of the pillars, and couplets carved on two of the stone pillars. The roof of the bell tower is built from several bluestone slabs, carved and stacked together, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable design. The four sides of the roof are carved with tile ridges, and the eaves are adorned with decorative tile ends and drip tiles. This bell tower is one of the better-preserved modern stone structures in Huaiyin District. Having withstood over a century of wind and rain, it still stands in its original location and serves as an important physical artifact for studying local folk religion and regional history. On December 18, 2003, it was registered and protected by the Huaiyin District Bureau of Culture. On December 20, 2013, it was announced by the Jinan Municipal Government as part of the fourth batch of municipal-level cultural relic protection units.

Source: People's Government of Huaiyin District, Jinan City