Ruins of the Ancient Zhulin Temple

Ruins of the Ancient Zhulin Temple

The ruins of the Ancient Zhulin Temple are a cultural heritage site protected by Wutai County.

The ruins of the Ancient Zhulin Temple are located in a mountain valley 1,500 meters northeast of Foguang Village, Doucun Town, Wutai County. The founding date is unknown. According to the Wutai County Annals, “Monk Fazhao of the Tang Dynasty once practiced Buddhism here.” Now in ruins, the site covers an area of 1,089 square meters.

When the temple was reconstructed in 1998, a batch of stone carvings from the Tang Dynasty were unearthed. There are two stone steles on the site: one inscribed with the year “1601, the 29th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty,” and another with “1786, the 51st year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty.” In November 2003, the People’s Government of Wutai County designated it as a county-level cultural heritage protection site. (Content excerpted from Xinzhou Cultural Relics Collection)

Foguang Village: Foguang Village is located north of Doucun Town, about one kilometer from the town center. The village has 48 households, a total population of 172, and 9 Party members, covering a land area of 6,000 mu. The World Cultural Heritage site Foguang Temple is situated in Foguang Village. Originally built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (471–499 AD), the temple is known as the “Buddhist Light of Asia” due to its long history and precious Buddhist relics. The main hall, also called the East Main Hall, was constructed in the 11th year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty, which corresponds to 857 AD. In terms of construction time, it is second only to the Nanchan Temple in Wutai County, which was built in the 3rd year of the Jianzhong era (782 AD)… More details about Foguang Village ++