Guanshan Tianning Temple Twin Pagodas

Guanshan Tianning Temple Twin Pagodas

The Guanshan Tianning Temple Twin Pagodas are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Tianning Temple Twin Pagodas are located on the earthen rampart south of Pingding County in Shanxi Province. According to the Pingding Prefecture Records: “The temple woods, with plaque inscribed by Grand Tutor Cai Jing, house a Mahavira Hall, and the twin pagodas stand opposite each other to the east and west.” Both the Ming and Qing dynasties saw restorations. Though the temple structures are now dilapidated, the twin pagodas remain intact. Set atop a high site, the pair stands out strikingly. The pagodas are of the pavilion style, with an octagonal floor plan, standing about 30 meters tall. Each level has a steeply receding silhouette, giving them an unusual outline. The ground floor features arched niches on four sides, each housing a Buddha statue. From the second floor upwards, the balconies are quite high, making the structure appear like a seven-story pagoda. The second and third levels are adorned with false doors and straight lattice windows, while the brackets under the eaves and on the balconies resemble wooden construction in their brick carvings. The treasure pearls were replaced in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1559). Beneath the pagodas lies a Northern Wei stone Buddha statue, with clear facial features and an intact body. There is also a beautiful local legend about these ancient pagodas. One day, Lu Ban and his sister made a bet to see who could build a pair of Buddhist pagodas in Pingding overnight. His sister didn’t believe he could do it, so at midnight, she secretly went to check. She found that the twin pagodas were nearly completed, with only the spire of the western pagoda left to be installed. To prevent her brother from winning the bet, she imitated a rooster’s crow. Hearing the crow, Lu Ban thought dawn was breaking and hastily packed up his tools and left. When daylight came, the locals were astonished to see the pair of pagodas completed overnight, and they named them the Male and Female Pagodas.

In May 2013, the Guanshan Tianning Temple Twin Pagodas were announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units