Lüliang Anguo Temple

Lüliang Anguo Temple

Lüliang Anguo Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a National Forest Park.

Anguo Temple is located at the foot of Wuyashan Mountain, 10 kilometers west of Lishi District, Lüliang, Shanxi Province. The temple was originally built in the 11th year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (637 AD), initially named Anji Temple, and once served as the fief of Princess Changhua, the daughter of Emperor Daizong of Tang. In the 3rd year of the Jiayou era of the Song Dynasty (1058 AD), it was renamed to its current name. It underwent renovations during the Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. In the early Qing Dynasty, Yu Chenglong, who was praised by Emperor Kangxi as the “Number One Honest Official,” once studied here. Extensive reconstructions were carried out in later generations, resulting in the present scale. Most of the existing structures date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The temple complex is built along the mountain, facing south, and has an L-shaped floor plan, covering a total area of approximately 4,700 square meters. It consists of four courtyards in total, with the main courtyard divided into upper and lower levels, and the side courtyard divided into inner and outer sections. Major structures include: the Mahavira Hall, Bronze Pagoda Tower, Bell and Drum Towers, Ten Kings Hall, East Wing Rooms, Guan Di Pavilion, Guanyin Pavilion, Lüzu Pavilion, Yu Chenglong’s Study Hall, Yu Zhongcheng’s Ancestral Hall, Yu Qingduan’s Ancestral Hall, Lai Gong Villa, Stone Archway, Brick Pagoda, and more.

The Mahavira Hall, also known as the Great Buddha Hall, is the main building of the temple. It is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave hanging hip roof. The bracket sets are of the five-purlin style with single ang and single rising block, and the middle bay features 45-degree diagonal brackets. The front eaves have inserted corridors, and the beam frame structure uses five-purlin beams with front and rear struts supported by four pillars. The hall enshrines the Three World Buddhas, with statues reaching a height of 4.8 meters. The interior features murals covering 60 square meters, painted during the Qing Dynasty.

The side courtyard, also known as the “quiet retreat,” is where Yu Chenglong, the Qing Dynasty Viceroy of Liangjiang, built his study hall. The hall is three bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave flush gable roof. About 100 meters behind the temple, beneath a rocky cliff, lies Lai Gong Villa, built in the 3rd year of the Yongzheng era (1725 AD) by Yu Chenglong’s grandson, Yu Zhun. The site features perilous terrain and exquisite construction, with cliffs, precipices, and waterfalls. On the mountainside, there are also over 40 artificially carved cave chambers, most of which are cave-style dwellings.

The temple walls undulate in height and are constructed from stone, with some sections reaching up to 21 meters high. From a distance, they resemble a uniquely shaped, distinctive ancient fortress.

In June 2001, Anguo Temple was designated by the State Council as part of the fifth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units