Tuan Dong Qinghua Temple

Tuan Dong Qinghua Temple

Tuan Dong Qinghua Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Qinghua Temple

Era: Song Dynasty

Address: Tuanchi Village, 10 km northeast of Gaoping City

According to surviving fragments of inscriptions in the temple, it was originally built during the Tang Dynasty and was renovated during both the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

This temple is the lower temple of Yangtou Mountain’s Qinghua Temple. The entire temple complex was built on high ground within the village, taking advantage of the terrain. It faces south with its back to the north, has four courtyards, and boasts a grand scale. The halls and pavilions are arranged at varying heights in an exquisite and impressive layout. The extant structures include the Mountain Gate, the Heavenly King Hall, the Tathagata Hall, the Three Buddha Hall, the Seven Buddha Hall, with side halls such as the Bell and Drum Towers, and auxiliary shrines dedicated to Arhats, Guanyin, Kṣitigarbha, and Patriarchs. The Tathagata Hall is a relic from the Song Dynasty, while the others were built during the Qing Dynasty.

The Tathagata Hall is three bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and glazed tile ridge ornaments. The central bay features a plank door, while the side bays have vertical lattice windows. The bracket sets on the columns are arranged in a distinctive pattern. The interior structure consists of closely spaced beams supporting the upper levels.

On October 7, 2019, Tuan Dong Qinghua Temple was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units