Shousheng Temple and Glazed Pagoda in Yangcheng

Shousheng Temple and Glazed Pagoda in Yangcheng

Shousheng Temple and Glazed Pagoda in Yangcheng is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Shousheng Temple and Glazed Pagoda in Yangcheng

Era: Ming Dynasty

Location: Yangling Village, Qinchi Town, 20 km northwest of Yangcheng County

Introduction: According to historical records from the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi era, the temple was originally built during the Later Tang Dynasty and was initially named Fuxing Temple. It was renamed Sizhou Temple during the Song Dynasty and was destroyed during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong. It was rebuilt during the Tianxi era (1017–1021) by monks such as Facheng, and in the fourth year of the Zhiping era (1067), Emperor Yingzong bestowed upon it the name “Shousheng Chan Temple.”

The temple complex consists of a two-courtyard layout. The main surviving structures are the Mahavira Hall and the Glazed Pagoda. The Mahavira Hall was built in the 36th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. The Glazed Pagoda is the principal building of the temple, an octagonal ten-story structure approximately 27 meters tall. Its body is straight with minimal tapering. The base has two tiers, both made of sandstone, adorned with carved floral patterns and dwarf strongmen at the corners. Each level of the pagoda is inlaid with glazed components, and the outer walls are covered with Buddhist story reliefs in glazed terracotta, creating a magnificent and dazzling effect. The interior is hollow and can be climbed.

On the left side of the rear doorway on the first level of the pagoda, there is an embedded glazed inscription that reads: “The 22nd day of the fifth month in the 37th year of the Wanli era of the Great Ming, glazed tile artisans Qiao Yongfeng and his sons Qiao Changfei and Qiao Changyuan from Yangcheng.”

On October 7, 2019, Shousheng Temple and Glazed Pagoda in Yangcheng were included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Yangling Village: Introduction to Yangling Village

Yangling Village, Qinchi Town, Yangcheng County, is located 21 km west of the county seat. It borders Wujia Village to the north and neighbors Qinchi Town area, Qinchi Village, Chuanhe Village, and Houjia Village to the east, while abutting Yibi Village and Lüzhuang Village to the west. The village has 360 households, a population of 1,160 divided into 12 villager groups, with 42 Party branch members organized into three Party subgroups. The total area of the village is 6.2 square kilometers, including 213.3 hectares of arable land. In 2010, the village’s total income was 6.213 million yuan, with an average per capita income of 5,779 yuan for farmers.

Yangling Village has a long history and was known in ancient times as... Detailed information about Yangling Village++

Further reading:

· Second Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units