Yongji Wanggu Temple

Yongji Wanggu Temple

Yongji Wanggu Temple is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Yongji Wanggu Temple scenic area in Shanxi is located at the northern foot of the Zhongtiao Mountain, 13 kilometers southwest of Yongji City. Established in the third year of the Zhengguang era during the Northern Wei Dynasty, it has a history of 1,500 years. It stands facing the Pujiu Temple, the renowned setting of the world-famous story "The Romance of the Western Chamber," and is a temple that was built shortly after Buddhism was first introduced to the region.

Following the principles of Buddhist temple siting, Wanggu Temple is indeed located in a feng shui treasure spot. It faces west and is built against the mountain, with the rolling Yellow River to the west and murmuring mountain springs flowing down around it. Surrounded by pine and cypress trees and shaded by bamboo groves, the temple halls are resplendent and the Buddhist light shines brightly. The Temple’s Many Treasures Pagoda is not only the iconic architecture of Wanggu Temple but also one of the earliest pagodas in China's tower-building tradition. This eight-sided, intricately designed structure has thirteen levels, and visitors who climb up to the ninth level can enjoy the majestic and beautiful scenery of the Pufan region. The Boundless Hall is a splendid highlight among China’s ancient architecture, famous for being entirely built from blue bricks without a single large beam. It has two levels: the lower part has three chambers that house the Thousand-Hand-Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva, with the Child-Giving Bodhisattva on the left and the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva on the right. The upper three chambers have cave-style arched ceilings, with all three interconnected and spacious and bright. The top features a domed caisson ceiling design. On the outside of the caves, the decorative screen walls on both sides feature vivid carvings of two dragons playing with a pearl, with dragons entwined in clouds. The brick carvings of the Boundless Hall, the stone engravings of the Pilu Pavilion, and the Many Treasures Pagoda are known as the “Three Wonders” of Wanggu Temple.

On October 7, 2019, Wanggu Temple was included in the eighth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Address: Puzhou Town, 13 kilometers southwest of Yongji City, Yuncheng

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Opening hours:

8:30-18:00

Ticket: 30 RMB. 5 RMB to climb the pagoda

Information source: Yuncheng Local Chronicles Compilation Committee

Further reading:

· First Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level