Guashan Tianning Temple

Guashan Tianning Temple

Guashan Tianning Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tianning Temple is located on Guashan Mountain, three kilometers north of Jiaocheng County, and 67 kilometers from Taiyuan. Guashan is a renowned tourist destination in Shanxi, combining natural scenery with a thousand-year-old ancient temple. Famous since the Tang Dynasty for its mountain resembling divinatory trigrams, towering ancient cypresses, majestic temple structures, and as a sacred Huayan site.

The Song Dynasty’s famous painter and calligrapher Mi Fu ranked it among the “Three Mountains and Five Sacred Peaks,” praising it as the “First Mountain.” The peaks of Guashan rise sharply, with overlapping ridges and undulating ranges, ancient verdant cypresses in countless forms, setting off the elegant charm of the ancient Tianning Temple. Established in the sixth year of the Tang Zhenguan era (632 AD), it has undergone expansions and renovations through the dynasties. Most of the existing structures date back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Inside the mountain gate, the two corridors house ancient Tang steles, Ming iron tablets, and various historical renovation inscriptions, showcasing calligraphy that is either vigorous and upright or full and steady, demonstrating profound skill. During the Qing Dynasty, someone listed “the pines of Huangshan, the cypresses of Guashan, and the bamboos of Yunqi” as marvels of Chinese flora. The ancient cypresses of Guashan grow from cliffs and cling to rocks, taking on diverse postures. Notable examples include the Dragon Claw Cypress, Ox Head Cypress, Twin Cypress, and Scholar-Warrior Cypress, all vividly lifelike and rich in charm. Countless mysterious and beautiful myths and legends have been passed down through the ages.

Inside the Thousand Buddha Pavilion are three Yuan Dynasty cast Buddha statues, each six meters tall, flanked by six iron-cast disciples, solemn and serene. The pavilion's four walls feature double-layered wooden cabinets, each housing a seated Buddha, though sadly now damaged. Behind the Thousand Buddha Pavilion lies the Void Hall, supported by bracket arms, with upturned eaves and five ridges adorned with mythical beasts, grand and majestic. To its right hangs a Ming Dynasty iron bell audible for miles. The Great Buddha Hall stands at the front of the temple complex, where the Sakyamuni Buddha statue sits high on the dais. Climbing 198 stone steps leads to the triple-eaved, three-story Pilu Pavilion. From here, one can overlook structures such as the Kṣitigarbha Hall, Scripture Depository, Guashan Academy, Zhu Gong Ancestral Hall, and Goddess Temple, all clearly visible. The layout is distinctly tiered, with halls and pavilions arranged harmoniously. Further up lies the Stone Buddha Hall, exquisitely built and uniquely designed. Nearby structures such as the Guan Yu Temple, Three Teachings Hall, and Wenchang Pavilion feature plaques inscribed by Song Dynasty’s Mi Fu and early Qing Dynasty’s Fu Shan. Outside the temple, tomb pagodas stand majestically to the east, offering a dignified and graceful charm all their own.

Tianning Temple is located at the southern end of the central axis. The 66-step staircase and stone memorial archway, built in the 11th year of the Qing Shunzhi era (1654), highlight the temple’s steep and imposing presence. The stone archway is simple yet majestic, with the front inscribed with “Ascend to the Other Shore” and the back with “Heavenly Reception.” Dozens of stone lions are carved on the stone pillars along both sides of the 66 steps. Ascending the steps leads to the temple’s mountain gate, atop which hangs a horizontal plaque reading “The First Mountain,” inscribed by the Northern Song Dynasty’s famed painter and calligrapher Mi Fu.

Entering the mountain gate brings you to the front courtyard, home to the Thousand Buddha Pavilion, rebuilt in the fourth year of the Ming Jiajing era (1525). It features five bays, a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof with green-glazed tile trimming, surrounded by corridors on three sides, and is accessible via the “Dragon Cloud Tiger Wind” cave passage. Above the “Dragon Cloud Tiger Wind” cave lies the middle courtyard. Spacious and open, the middle courtyard boasts an impressive aura. The main Mahavira Hall in front was rebuilt in the ninth year of the Qing Jiaqing era (1804), preserving the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty. The hall houses three golden-bodied Buddha statues seated in lotus position, fully gilded, representing the three bodies of Sakyamuni, crafted in the fifth year of the Ming Yongle era (1407).

The Pilu Pavilion is located in the rear courtyard, the highest structure of Tianning Temple, rebuilt in the 47th year of the Qing Kangxi era (1708). A double-eaved hip-and-gable roof structure, the pavilion appears to have three stories but actually contains two, with columns around all four sides on the lower level and railings on the middle level. Inside, wooden flooring spans both levels, connected by a wooden staircase. The finely carved large Buddhist shrine inside houses three seated wooden Buddha statues, flanked by Mahakasyapa and Ananda.

Exiting west through the “Right Lv” moon gate leads to the Kṣitigarbha Hall and Three Teachings Hall. In the Kṣitigarbha Hall, the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva sits centrally, with the Ten Kings of Hell on either side. The walls are covered with murals depicting the Buddhist cycle of reincarnation and karmic retribution in the eighteen levels of hell. The Three Teachings Hall, rebuilt in the 52nd year of the Qing Kangxi era (1713), is a two-story pavilion-style building with three bays and a hip-and-gable roof with common tiles. The three founders of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism sit in the hall—a rare layout arrangement.

Exiting east through the “Left Fen” moon gate and climbing over 400 stone steps leads to the earliest structure on Guashan, the Stone Buddha Hall. With both inner and outer courtyards, the inner courtyard’s main hall is the “Treasure Lamp King Buddha Hall,” housing a five-meter-tall round Tang Dynasty stone Buddha, a masterpiece of Tang Dynasty stone carving. The twenty Devas murals on the left and right walls demonstrate skilled technique and smooth lines, considered fine examples of mural art.

In the courtyard, atop a thousand-year-old cypress, stands an inverted Guanyin niche, featuring a hip-and-gable roof with nine ridges and ten beasts, exquisitely crafted as a fine model of ancient architecture.

In May 2006, Guashan Tianning Temple, as an ancient structure from the Tang to Qing periods, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. (Shanxi Cultural Relics Bureau)

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units