Zhengding Tianning Temple

Zhengding Tianning Temple

Zhengding Tianning Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The temple was formerly known as Dazangyuan and was built during the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1008–1016), when it was granted the name "Chengtian Temple." It began to be called Tianning Temple during the Zhenghe era (1111–1118). In the eighth year of the Shaoxing reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty (1138 AD), in honor of his late father Emperor Huizong, it was bestowed the name "Baoying Guang Temple," later changed to "Baoying Guang Temple." At that time, the temple complex consisted of main structures arranged from south to north, including a memorial archway, a double gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the front hall, the rear hall, and the Lingxiao Pagoda. With evening drums and morning bells, the temple enjoyed flourishing incense offerings. In the early years of the Republic of China, the temple suffered repeated disasters, with halls being destroyed one after another, leaving only the Lingxiao Pagoda as the main surviving structure. In 1988, it was announced by the State Council as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The main hall of Tianning Temple is one of the extant typical wooden structures from the Yuan Dynasty in southern China. It measures three bays in both width and depth, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. On the third purlin to the east of the central bay, there is a double-hooked ink inscription reading: “Reconstructed on the auspicious day of the sixth month, gengshen day, in the year wuwu of the fifth year of Yuanyou during the Great Yuan [1318 AD], to celebrate renewal.” Carbon-14 dating of the beams revealed that some pillars date back a thousand years, while some beams and bracket sets are around eight hundred years old. This shows that when the hall was rebuilt during the Yuan Dynasty, some wooden components from the Song Dynasty were preserved. The beam-frame structure also retains many architectural styles and features from the Song Dynasty.

The main structure of Tianning Temple is the Lingxiao Pagoda, and there are several pavilions outside the temple that complement each other. At the entrance stands a large paulownia tree, with its large pale purple petals scattered all over the ground. There are two particularly adorable stone lions at the gate, looking like two children quarreling. The wind is blowing strongly, and the wind chimes on the pagoda tinkle melodiously—a sound that is very soul-cleansing.

The Lingxiao Pagoda of Tianning Temple is named for its towering height. Also, because much of its structure is made of wood, it is commonly known as the Wooden Pagoda. According to the Zhengding County Annals from the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, Tianning Temple and the Lingxiao Pagoda were built during the same period, in the Weitong era of Emperor Yizong of the Tang Dynasty (860–874 AD). The Lingxiao Pagoda is a nine-story, brick-and-wood pavilion-style tower with an octagonal floor plan, standing 41 meters tall atop an octagonal platform. The first to fourth stories of the pagoda were rebuilt during the Song Dynasty on the ruins of the original Tang Dynasty tower, and are entirely made of brick. The upper stories were reconstructed during the Jin Dynasty with a brick-and-wood structure. Each story features arched doors or straight windows on the front facade. From the fourth to the ninth story, the bracket sets and upturned eaves are all made of wood. Starting from the fifth story, the height of each successive level gradually decreases, and the external contour tapers inward, giving a sense of lightness and elegance. The most distinctive feature of the Lingxiao Pagoda is the vertical wooden pillar at the center of the fourth story, which extends all the way to the top of the pagoda and is connected to the outer eaves via eight radiating bracket arms. This structural design is unique in China and extremely valuable. The construction of this pagoda differs from that of ordinary wooden pagodas as well as typical brick-and-wood pagodas.