Suhuang Temple

Suhuang Temple

Suhuang Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Suhuang Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Ming and Qing Dynasties

Address: 20 meters east of Suhuang Temple Natural Village, Mayugou Village, Dabao Township, Lin County, Lüliang City

According to the 6th Year of the Republic of China (1917) edition of the Lin County Annals, Suhuang Temple was originally named Huangsu Temple and served as a branch temple of Guanyin Temple before being renamed Suhuang Temple. Its founding date is unknown. It underwent multiple renovations during the Yuandade era, Ming Dynasty's TianShun, ChengHua, LongQing eras, and Qing Dynasty's QianLong, JiaQing, and TongZhi periods (1861–1875). The existing structures include the main hall, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty, while the rest are Qing Dynasty constructions.

The temple faces south and is arranged across three courtyards. There are 14 existing cultural heritage buildings. Along the central axis from south to north are the theater stage, Skanda Hall, and the main hall. On both sides of the central axis are the bell and drum towers, side halls in the second courtyard, side gates, monks’ quarters in the third courtyard, west side hall, east side chamber, and east wing room. Five stone steles and two stone pagodas are preserved in the temple. The main hall’s gable walls and rear eaves wall feature Buddhist murals, and its beams are adorned with colored paintings.

The main hall is the principal structure of the temple. It is three bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave flush-gable roof and a front porch. It has a seven-rafter front-and-rear corridor-style framework. The outer eaves brackets are high and tightly arranged, and the front eaves feature Ming-style carvings. The hall retains late Ming architectural features. The eastern and western gable walls and rear eaves wall of the main hall house Buddhist murals, including “The Origin of Sakyamuni” and “The Ten Wisdom Kings,” covering an area of 7.06 square meters.

The theater stage is built on a 0.65-meter-high platform. It is three bays wide and five rafters deep, with a flush-gable and roll-roof canopy, and a six-rafter rear corridor-style beam frame. The crossbeams are decorated with lotus-petal-shaped pedestals.

Suhuang Temple is a relatively well-preserved Buddhist temple complex from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. As a branch of the renowned Tang Dynasty Guanyin Temple, it underwent multiple renovations across the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods, preserving rich historical and cultural information. It serves as a valuable example for studying the inheritance of folk Buddhism in western Shanxi and the architecture of Buddhist temples in the late feudal society.

The Qing Dynasty murals in the main hall of Suhuang Temple, such as the “Illustrated Origins of Buddhism” and the “Ten Wisdom Kings,” are richly detailed and exquisitely executed, vividly conveying Buddhist teachings. The figures are lifelike, the colors vibrant, and the artworks hold considerable artistic value.

Information source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Mayugou Village: Mayugou Village... More details about Mayugou Village++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites