Pingshun Dayun Temple

Pingshun Dayun Temple

Pingshun Dayun Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Highlights:

The Main Buddha Hall preserves 21 square meters of Five Dynasties murals, with the eastern wall depicting the Buddhist story "Vimalakirti Sutra Transformation." The fan-shaped wall features paintings of Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta bodhisattvas on the front. The spandrels and architraves retain 11 square meters of Five Dynasties painted artwork. The hall also houses a Five Dynasties stone incense burner, a Song Dynasty stone pagoda, and stone arhats.

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Dayun Temple is situated in Long’er Mountain, Shihui Village, Shihui Township, 23 kilometers northwest of Pingshun County. It was established in the third year of the Tianfu era (938) during the Jin period of the Five Dynasties, originally named "Xianyan Monastery." Surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and north, and facing the Zhang River to the south, the area is shaded by dense woods and offers a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.

The temple faces south and consists of two courtyards, covering an area of 4,000 square meters. The existing structures include the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Three Buddha Hall (rear hall), and the east and west wing rooms of the front courtyard, all exhibiting architectural styles from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Main Buddha Hall is a remnant of the Five Dynasties, bringing the total number of existing halls to 24.

The Heavenly King Hall is three bays wide and three bays deep, with a hanging gable roof. The four-rafter beams run straight through to both the front and rear eaves, supported by two pillars. The front and rear eaves use large architraves, and the bracket sets on the column tops and between the middle and side bays feature five-curved double-angling brackets. The Main Buddha Hall is three bays wide and three bays deep, with four-rafter beams opposing the rear breast beam, using three pillars in total, and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The bracket sets on the column tops and between the middle bays are five-tiered double-bracket arms, while the corner brackets feature diagonal ang arms. With round columns and square beams, upturned eaves, and an ancient yet majestic design, it stands imposingly. The Three Buddha Hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, with four-rafter beams running continuously through the front and rear, using two pillars, and three-curved single-angling brackets with single downward ang arms and six-part head-end blocks. It has a hanging gable roof, reflecting the architectural style of the late Qing Dynasty.

Outside the left side of the temple, there is also a stone pagoda built during the Later Zhou period of the Five Dynasties, commonly known as the "Seven Treasures Pagoda," carved from bluestone. It stands approximately 6 meters tall, originally had seven stories, but now only five remain. The lower three stories have octagonal floor plans. The first story is carved with lotus flowers, lions, qilin, and flying horses. The second story depicts musicians with graceful postures and elegant dance movements, accompanied by vividly rendered instrumentalists. The third story features twisted dragon pillars at the corners, spiraling elegantly. Under the eaves are carvings of flying phoenixes, celestial beings, and Jivajiva birds in varied poses, with pendant drapes around the eaves. The central front archway features a pair of dragons playing with a pearl, flanked by two heavenly kings, while behind them a monk half-closes the door, and two guardian figures stand on either side of the side bays. The fourth story is surrounded by pendant drapes with false doors at the front and back. The fifth story is topped with a large round cover and a precious bead finial. This pagoda is exquisitely designed, intricately carved, and uniquely imaginative. Dayun Monastery is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Ticket/Opening Hours: 20 RMB

Changzhi City, Shanxi Province