Shujiu Temple Pagoda

Shujiu Temple Pagoda

Shujiu Temple Pagoda is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Shujiu Temple derived its name from being located on Jiu Peak Ridge, and is still commonly referred to as Jiu Peak Temple today. It is situated on a hillside 1,000 meters southwest of Yaogou Village in Dongbaijiaquan Township, about 20 kilometers southwest of Yangyuan County’s county town. The site still preserves a well-maintained Buddhist pagoda, known as Shujiu Temple Pagoda, which is a key cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province. According to the *Tianzhen County Annals*, Jiu Peak Temple was first built during the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (785–805 AD), making it over 1,100 years old. It was renovated during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty (1851–1861). The tall pagoda on the temple's west side, commonly called the Tang Pagoda, was constructed around the same time as the temple. Jiu Peak Temple was built along the contours of the mountain, facing east. The architectural structures within the temple are staggered in height and arranged in an orderly fashion. Originally, there were two halls: the main hall to the west and a passageway hall to the east, with meditation rooms built to the north and south. During the Xianfeng-era renovation, the northern room was also converted into a hall. The entire temple complex was built on a high slope, so visitors had to pause, catch their breath, and look up in awe before entering. Walking up the steps and passing through the mountain gate leads into the passageway hall, which also serves as the temple’s eastern hall. Inside, the Four Heavenly Kings stand guard on either side; at the center, a Buddha facing east welcomes visitors, while Guanyin Bodhisattva faces west, seated in the rear. Moving further in, you enter the relatively small, courtyard-style temple complex. The main hall to the west enshrines a five-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by the Ten Bright Sun Buddhas. All the Buddha statues are carved from stone, featuring balanced proportions, delicate craftsmanship, and a majestic presence. The northern hall is dedicated to Maitreya Buddha, with eighteen Arhat statues sculpted in stone on the east and west sides. The southern wing room served as living quarters and meditation space for monks, where they ate, slept, and chanted scriptures. There were also auxiliary buildings outside the temple, such as mills. Unfortunately, during the 1960s, the temple halls were all destroyed. Today, only nine stone statues, three stone steles, and remnants remain—two of the steles are damaged with illegible inscriptions, while the third, the *Shujiu Temple Stele Inscription*, is still legible and was erected in the 52nd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1713). Only the pagoda remains well-preserved, standing proudly and reaching toward the sky.

Jiu Peak Temple Pagoda is the burial stupa of the eminent monk Dao Yuan. Made of brick, solid inside, and octagonal with thirteen tiers, the pagoda stands approximately 25 meters tall. It is not only exquisitely crafted and aesthetically pleasing, but also boasts a unique style and distinctive form. Its basic shape adopts architectural techniques from Han-style dense-eave pagodas, such as an octagonal plan and corbelled eaves. However, its finer details and certain sections incorporate arched window tops and covers. Notably, the seventh tier breaks the pattern of layered dense eaves, inserting a layer with a domed shape—architectural motifs originating from ancient Indian and Tibetan stupas. This gives the pagoda’s overall form a vertical division into three sections, transforming the external silhouette from straight lines to curves. Tiers eight through thirteen continue with the dense-eave design. It is likely that the original finial also featured a Tibetan-style domed structure stacked in layers. If this is the case, then the pagoda not only reflects the fusion of Han and Tibetan pagoda architectural art, but also showcases the cultural blending of Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan influences in the Zhangjiakou region, recording the remarkable architectural vision and craftsmanship of ancient builders.

Legend has it that a rooster pagoda and a dog pagoda were once built on either side of Jiu Peak Temple Pagoda. The story goes that a monk named Dao Yuan, through devout ascetic practices such as “eating stones and burning his thighs,” eventually attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven with his rooster and dog. Feeling remorseful for his own lack of devotion, his master fundraised to build a pagoda for Dao Yuan, and even constructed pagodas for the rooster and dog. Based on this legend, Jiu Peak Temple Pagoda is also called Dao Yuan Pagoda. In recent years, the temple has undergone continuous restoration. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in 2002, Monk Guanghui entered a hexagonal meditation hut on the southeastern mountainside to undertake a three-year secluded retreat. This further elevated the temple’s prestige among worshippers, drawing increasing numbers of devotees and flourishing incense offerings.

In May 2013, Shujiu Temple Pagoda was designated as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units