Longmen Temple in Pingshun

Longmen Temple in Pingshun

Longmen Temple in Pingshun is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Longmen Temple

Longmen Temple

Longmen Temple (a fourth batch National Heritage site)

Era: Five Dynasties to Qing Dynasty

Address: At the foot of Longmen Mountain, Yuantou Village, Shicheng Town, 54 km northeast of Pingshun County

The temple was founded during the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–559 AD), and underwent large-scale expansions during the Later Tang of the Five Dynasties and the Song and Jin periods. Especially in the first year of the Jianlong era of the Northern Song Dynasty (950 AD), the scale reached its peak, with “several hundred halls and lodges.” It has been repaired in subsequent dynasties. Currently, there are over seventy structures dating from the Later Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

The temple faces south and covers an area of 5,070 square meters. Its layout consists of three axes—east, central, and west—each divided into a front courtyard, middle courtyard, and rear courtyard. The buildings are constructed along the terrain, with varying heights and a clear hierarchy. The central axis mainly includes the mountain gate (Heavenly King Hall) in the front courtyard, east and west corridors, east and west side halls, a Buddhist pagoda, the middle hall, and a bell tower. The rear courtyard has east and west monks’ quarters and the rear hall (Ran Deng Buddha Hall). The eastern axis includes a five-room Hall of Saintly Monks, a seven-room Water-Land Hall, as well as auxiliary structures such as meditation rooms, monks’ quarters, and stables. The western axis has two sets of four-courtyard monks’ quarters, front and back, as well as auxiliary structures like storage rooms. The main buildings are all located along the central axis.

The west side hall is situated on the west side of the front courtyard along the central axis, and is the oldest building in the temple. It was built between the third year of the Tongguang era (925 AD) and the second year of the Qingtai era (935 AD) of the Later Tang of the Five Dynasties. It is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof. The structure is simple, retaining the style of Tang Dynasty architecture, and is the only known surviving hanging-gable style building from the Five Dynasties period in China.

The middle hall, also known as the Mahavira Hall, is located at the center of the central axis. It was built in the fifth year of the Shaosheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1098 AD). It is three bays wide and three bays deep, nearly square in plan, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The beam frame structure retains features of Song Dynasty architecture.

The mountain gate, also called the Heavenly King Hall, is located at the front end of the central axis and is a Jin Dynasty structure. It is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof. The corridors on both sides of the gate, with their column capitals, brackets, and architraves, share architectural styles similar to those of the main hall, contributing to the overall architectural harmony.

The rear hall, also known as the Ran Deng Buddha Hall, is located at the very end of the central axis and is a Yuan Dynasty structure. It is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof.

The east side hall is situated on the east side of the front courtyard, opposite the west side hall. It is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave flush gable roof. It was rebuilt between the eleventh and thirty-seventh years of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1478–1504 AD).

The east-axis buildings include the Water-Land Hall, Heavenly Palace Hall, etc.; the west-axis consists of two-courtyard complexes, mostly monks' quarters and stables, most of which were built in the late Qing Dynasty or during the Republican era.

Longmen Temple has a long history and grand scale. Among the ancient buildings that still exist in China, it is the only temple complex that houses structures from the Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, making it of high historical, artistic, and scientific value.

Address: About two li north of Yuantou Village, Shicheng Town, Pingshun County, Changzhi City, on the mountainside of Longmen Mountain

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Ticket: Free

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units