The Jinhé Temple Hanging Nunnery Pagoda Complex

The Jinhé Temple Hanging Nunnery Pagoda Complex

The Jinhé Temple Hanging Nunnery Pagoda Complex is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Jinhé Temple Hanging Nunnery Pagoda Complex dates back to the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Located in the Jīnhékǒu Valley of the Xiao Wutai Mountains in Yu County, Hebei Province, it currently preserves six memorial stupas of successive abbots, all built with a brick-imitating-wood structure. The architectural style, form, and characteristics are typical of Liao Dynasty architecture. Among them, Stupa No. 4 is the memorial stupa of Zizhong Zhenggong, the 24th lineage holder of the Linji School of Buddhism. Locally, it is commonly referred to as the North and South Pagoda Forests. It is said that there were originally 72 visible stupas and 72 hidden ones.

The North Pagoda Forest is located on a small hill about 500 meters from Jinhé Temple, where five stupas remain. There are two architectural styles: the arched-eave stupa and the – style stupa. Despite years of wind, rain, and warfare, the North and South Pagoda Forests of Jinhé Temple still stand atop the towering mountains at the edge of the ridges. Though not particularly grand in scale, their perilous locations, exquisite craftsmanship, and the difficulty of sourcing materials speak volumes. Unfortunately, Jinhé Temple was burned down by Japanese invaders during the war. In May 2013, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units