Xianghe Da’an Temple

Xianghe Da’an Temple

Xianghe Da’an Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Da’an Temple is located within the First City in Anping Town, Xianghe County, Hebei Province. It is a temple where Buddhist heritage continues and an ancient shrine shines anew. The temple was first built in the early Tang Dynasty. Historical records state that Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, once personally led his troops here on their way to subdue enemies in the east. The soldiers were weary, and suddenly a sandstorm arose. Upon hearing the marshal’s advice: “It is best to stay here for the night,” the next day the troops achieved a great victory. Emperor Taizong then bestowed the name “Anping” (meaning peaceful and stable) upon the place and ordered the construction of a temple here using state treasury funds to commemorate the event, naming it “Da’an Temple.” For over 1,300 years, the temple enjoyed flourishing incense offerings, produced many eminent monks, and its Buddhist cultural influence endured through the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. However, in the early years of the Republic of China, due to the long history of the temple and severe aging of its main structures, they collapsed.

Due to the glorious history of this millennia-old famous temple and the deep-rooted impact of its rich and profound Buddhist culture on devotees, the desire to rebuild the temple grew stronger. In 1992, CITIC Guoan Group invested in building the First City in the Xianghe Economic and Technological Development Zone, replicating the original style of Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the original site of Da’an Temple located within it. Many Buddhist devotees petitioned the government to restore the temple as a place for Buddhist activities. With government approval and authorization from the ethnic and religious affairs department, CITIC Guoan Group undertook the donation and reconstruction of the temple. After three years of meticulous work, Da’an Temple was restored to the world. Its architecture is majestic, craftsmanship exquisite, halls solemn, and Buddha statues exquisitely made.

The restored and rebuilt Da’an Temple covers an area of 16,675 square meters, with a construction area of 16,000 square meters, featuring an architectural layout of one gate and thirteen halls. Among them, the Maitreya Hall, Great Compassion Hall, Mahavira Hall, Five Tathagatas Hall, and Relic Treasure Hall are respectively located on the first to fourth floors of the central structure — the Dharma Convergence Pavilion. The temple enshrines a total of 133 Buddha statues. The statues were created using techniques such as copper engraving with gold leaf, hand-painted colors, openwork carving, and traditional sculpting. The overall architecture follows the traditional temple structure while incorporating modern facilities, blending timeless charm with a contemporary touch. It represents a perfect fusion of ancient and modern design with temple culture, as well as a classic showcase of the profound art of Buddhist culture.

The restored and rebuilt Da’an Temple has set several records both in China and internationally: it encompasses both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions within one temple complex; it is the most traditionally royal-atmosphere temple among those that have been restored; it serves as a model for combining Buddhist practice spaces with cultural exhibition; it is the only large-scale temple in China to be restored and rebuilt primarily through corporate effort; the temple structure is entirely steel-framed, using the largest amount of steel among similar buildings in China; it features the most comprehensive facilities and functions of any temple; the Golden Buddha Hall is designed and built in the artistic style of Buddhism during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, boasting the largest single-building area among temple constructions in China, the highest amount of copper engraving with gold leaf in the country, the largest gilded surface area, and enshrining the tallest form of Buddha statue.