Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple

Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple

Shijiazhuang Pilu Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Pilu Temple was originally built during the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty and was renovated during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. It was once a large complex with many buildings, but now only the Shakyamuni Hall (front hall) and the Pilu Hall (rear hall) remain. The central Buddhist altar in the Pilu Hall enshrines Vairocana (a Sanskrit term meaning “Illuminator of All”), the principal Buddha of Buddhism, which is why the temple is named Pilu Temple.

The mural paintings in the Pilu Hall follow the traditional techniques of ancient Chinese murals. The brushwork is skillful, the lines bold and fluid, the colors vibrant, and the figures lifelike with clear distinctions between primary and secondary elements and well-organized layers. The murals use mineral pigments predominantly, with stone green and vermilion red as the base tones. Their harmony is achieved through strong contrasts, resulting in rich yet balanced colors. These mineral-based pigments are highly stable and preserve well. Although they have endured hundreds of years of seasonal changes, the colors remain vivid to this day. The murals also make extensive use of gilding with raised relief, giving the entire artwork a luxurious, splendid, and dazzling appearance without being garish.

The Pilu Temple murals are rich in content, encompassing a wide range of subjects, and demonstrate exquisite craftsmanship and high artistic value. They hold significant importance for the study of ancient social life, customs, as well as the history of ancient art and traditional painting, making them a precious treasure among China’s surviving ancient murals.

The Pilu Temple murals, along with those of Dunhuang in Gansu, Fahai Temple in Beijing, and Yongle Palace in Shanxi, are collectively known as China’s “Four Great Murals.” However, while the other three primarily represent a specific religious sect, the Pilu Temple murals uniquely integrate Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. They also depict celestial bodies, landscapes, natural phenomena such as wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, as well as revered figures from human history, all personified as objects of worship.

Address: East of Shangjing Village, Dubei Township, Shijiazhuang City

Type: Historic Site / Temple

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0311-87775241

Opening Hours:

8:00-22:00

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 10.0 RMB

Shangjing Village: Shangjing (Shàng Jīng) is located on the northwestern outskirts of the city. To the northeast, it faces Qian and Hou Dubei across the main channel of the Shijin Canal and Shigang Highway; to the northwest, it borders Jiacun in Huolu County; and to the southwest, it neighbors Xiaomacun.

In the summer of 1965, a square brick inscribed with the epitaph of a married couple surnamed Sun from the third year of the Tang Dynasty’s Shangyuan era (676 AD) was unearthed at the Beijiao Brickyard. It mentioned the name “Shangjing Township of Shiyi County.” Existing records such as the “Stele Inscription for the Reconstruction of Shengfo Temple” from the first year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1488 AD) at Houtaibao, as well as the “Stele Inscription for the Reconstruction of Pilu Temple” from the Ming and Qing periods in Shangjing, all refer to it as “Shangjing Village.” This shows that ... Shangjing Village detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units