Lingjing Temple

Lingjing Temple

Lingjing Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Xinzhou City.

Lingjing Temple is located in Lingjing Village, Lingjing Township, Wutai County. According to the Ming Dynasty’s *Qingliang Mountain Annals*, it was built during the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1465–1487) and was renovated during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1662–1722) and again in the 20th year of the Daoguang era (1840).

The temple faces south and is laid out in a traditional quadrangle courtyard style, covering an area of 1,276 square meters. It currently has one ceremonial gate, which is a single-bay structure with a depth of two rafters, featuring a rolled awning and hanging gable roof, with lotus-shaped hanging columns at the front, panel doors, and an interior in ceremonial gate style. The main hall to the north is the Three Saints Hall, spanning three bays in width and five in depth, with a front corridor, a flush gable roof, central partition doors, side partition windows, and houses jade statues of the Huayan Three Saints, the Sixteen Arhats, and a beam inscribed in ink: “The 52nd Year of the Kangxi Era of the Great Qing (1713).” The northern hall connects via brick archways on the east and west to small side courtyards, each featuring a three-bay main room and three-bay wing rooms, all with corridors, serving as monks’ quarters. The eastern side hall is the Eastern Three Saints Hall, spanning three bays in width and four in depth, with a front corridor, a flush gable roof, central partition doors, and side partition windows, housing statues of the Eastern Three Saints, Guan Yu, and the Maitreya Buddha. The western side hall is the Western Three Saints Hall, spanning three bays in width and four in depth, with a front corridor, a flush gable roof, and houses statues of the Western Three Saints. Inside the corridor of the halls is a stone stele inscribed with “Renovated in the 12th Year of the Daoguang Era of the Great Qing (1886).” The temple is revered by Japanese Buddhists. Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, three Japanese individuals became monks here. In 825 AD, Master Lingxian of Nara, Japan, came to preach here and suddenly fell ill and passed away in 827 AD. In June 2007, the Xinzhou Municipal People’s Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.

Source: Xinzhou Website

Lingjing Village: Lingjing Village is located 1 kilometer from the township government. The village has 66 households and a population of 236, covering an area of 8,000 mu, with 471 mu of arable land. There are 13 Party members in the village, and the per capita net income in 2010 was 1,300 yuan. The main sources of economic income are agriculture and animal husbandry, with crops including potatoes, oat noodles, and soybeans. … Lingjing Village detailed information++