Jingxing Xiansheng Temple

Jingxing Xiansheng Temple

Jingxing Xiansheng Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Xiansheng Temple is located in Tianchang Town, Jingxing County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. It is the most renowned Buddhist temple in Jingxing. Built during the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (585 AD), it boasts a history of more than 1,400 years. After Emperor Wen of Sui came to power, he decreed that every province and county in the nation should establish one Buddhist temple and one nunnery. Xiansheng Temple was among those constructed at the time. Research suggests that before the Song Dynasty, the site was called Tiangong Courtyard. In the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Song Dynasty (1014 AD), Ding Wei, Minister of Works and concurrently Vice Chancellor, Xiang Minzhong, Vice Minister of the Central Secretariat and concurrently Minister of Justice and concurrently Chancellor, and Wang Dan, Supervisor of the Bureau of Military Affairs and concurrently Vice Minister of the Secretariat and concurrently Chancellor, were ordered by Emperor Zhenzong of Song to renovate the temple and add side halls. During Ding Wei’s administration, the temple was expanded and became quite prominent. Many inscriptions from the Ming and Qing dynasties remain, and the temple has been well preserved to this day.

The ancient city walls of old Jingxing where Xiansheng Temple is located, as well as the main hall of the Confucian Temple and the main hall of the City God Temple within the city, are all listed as protected cultural heritage sites of Hebei Province. In the surrounding area of the old city and in Hedong Village, there is a nationally protected heritage site—the ancient Jingxing porcelain kiln ruins dating from the Sui to the Yuan Dynasties. Hedong Village also contains a cluster of Han Dynasty tombs, while the northern part of the city hosts ancient tombs from the Sui, Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

To the north of Xiansheng Temple lies a stretch dotted with scenic spots and historic sites. On the western side of the Mian River are Yufeng Mountain Temple, which features the Huoshen Temple and Mingling King Temple, both built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. On the eastern cliffs of the temple are cliff inscriptions from the Song Dynasty, including the Guosheng Buddha Rock carvings and the ancient Shuidong Cave. This area features exposed rock layers, with iron-brown and gray strata overlapping in twists and turns, displaying clear stratification. In the past, people referred to it as “Iron Dragon Drilling Stone” and included it among the Eight Scenic Spots of the region. To the northeast of Yufeng Mountain lies the Xilian Ancient Temple and the Hou Tu Niang Niang Temple built during the Ming Dynasty. There used to be nuns residing here. To the east in Shiqiaotou Village, there are protected heritage sites such as the Song Dynasty Tianqi Army Stone Bridge, which resembles the Zhaozhou Big Stone Bridge in design, and the larger-scale Dongyue Temple complex.

Transportation Guide

Address: Beiguan Village, Tianchang Town, Jingxing County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province

Transit: Take a bus from Jingxing County headed to Tianchang Town, then transfer to a minibus to reach Beiguan.