Nanie Shui Hongjiao Temple

Nanie Shui Hongjiao Temple

Nanie Shui Hongjiao Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Hongjiao Temple

Hongjiao Temple (Third Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Jin Dynasty

Location: Nanie Shui Village, 30 km north of Qinxian County

The original construction date is unknown. It was renovated during the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1161–1170). A plaque inscribed with “Imperially Commissioned Temple” hangs under the eaves of the central bay of the main hall, with “Dading Ninth Year, Sixth Month” inscribed on the right. According to a Yuan Dynasty stone stele preserved in the temple, in the eighth year of the Zhiyuan era (1271), the Dharma Hall was renovated, the Buddha Hall and temple foundation were repaired, and renovations were carried out during both the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The temple faces south and covers an area of 2,465 square meters. It consists of three courtyards along a central axis, which are home to the Mountain Gate (now only ruins remain, as the structure has been destroyed), Front Hall, Passing Hall, Main Hall, and East and West Side Halls. The Main Hall is a Yuan Dynasty structure, the Front Hall is from the Ming Dynasty, and the rest are Qing Dynasty constructions.

The Main Hall stands on a brick platform one meter high. It is three bays wide and six rafters deep, with a square floor plan. It features a single-eave gable-and-hip roof. Below the eaves, the bracket sets are arranged in a layered fashion, with single brackets on the column tops. The roof structure is supported by a system of bracket arms connected to the columns below.

The temple also preserves one Yuan Dynasty stone stele and one Qing Dynasty stele.

In May 2013, Nanie Shui Hongjiao Temple was designated as part of the Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shanxi Provincial-Level Protected Cultural Relics

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units