Nanshan Temple on Mount Wutai

Nanshan Temple on Mount Wutai

Nanshan Temple on Mount Wutai is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Nanshan Temple

Era: Ming Dynasty to Republic of China

Address: Mid-slope, 2 km south of Taihuai Town on Mount Wutai

It is the collective name for three temples: Youguo Temple, Jile Temple, and Shande Hall. The temple was first built in the second year of Yuanzhen during the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1296), known as the Great Wansheng Youguo Temple in the Ming Dynasty, and was rebuilt in the 20th year of the Jiajing era (1541). It was expanded in the ninth year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1829) and called Jile Temple. During the Republic of China, it was renovated by people such as Jiang Fuchen from the northeast, collectively referred to as Nanshan Temple. The current structures date from the Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China.

The temple is built against the mountain, facing west. There are 18 courtyards, and more than 300 pavilions, towers, halls, and rooms, covering a total area of 37,000 square meters. A stone stairway of 108 steps leads down from the mountain gate. The screen wall in front of the gate features delicate brick carvings, and the bell tower above the gate is exquisitely constructed. The temple buildings feature distinctive architectural styles. The entire temple complex consists of seven levels divided into three sections.

The lower three levels form Jile Temple. In the quadrangle courtyard on the left side of the temple, the Mahavira Hall is centrally located, spanning three bays in width and two in depth, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. Inside the hall are statues of Sakyamuni, his two disciples, and attendant bodhisattvas. In front are exquisitely carved white marble statues of the Child-Giving Guanyin. On both sides are 18 arhats from the Ming Dynasty, which are considered fine examples among the arhats on Mount Wutai. The walls are covered with original Ming Dynasty murals depicting the life of the Buddha. The middle level is Shande Hall, and the upper three levels are Youguo Temple.

The temple houses a stone engraving inscribed with “True Suchness and Freedom” (真如自在) written by Empress Dowager Cixi.

On October 7, 2019, Nanshan Temple on Mount Wutai was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Yangbaiyu Village: Located at the southern foot of the main scenic area of Mount Wutai, Yangbaiyu Village in Taihuai Town governs four villager groups: Yangbaiyu, Tanzhi, Nanpo, and Nan’an Gou, with a total of 230 households, over 660 residents, and 220 laborers. The village has 280 mu of cultivated land and 2,834 mu of forested area. In 2010, the total economic income of the village was 6 million yuan, including 3 million yuan from tourism, and the per capita net income of farmers was 4,000 yuan. In recent years, the village committee has focused on tourism as a leading industry, prioritizing the development of a moderately prosperous society. Centered around the theme of building a new socialist countryside, the committee has provided proper guidance and made reasonable plans, leading villagers in constructing a harmonious new... [More details about Yangbaiyu Village]++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units