Yongning Temple in Yuanping

Yongning Temple in Yuanping

Yongning Temple in Yuanping is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yongning Temple is located on the mountainside of Wufeng Mountain, about 5,000 meters east of Jingou Village, Zhongyang Township, Yuanping City. It faces south, stretches 53.6 meters from east to west and 69.29 meters from north to south, covering an area of 3,714 square meters. The year of its establishment is unknown. According to inscriptions, it was rebuilt during the Dade era of the Yuan Dynasty (1297–1307), and underwent multiple renovations and expansions during the Chenghua era (1465–1487), Jiajing era (1522–1566), the 62nd year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty (1722), and the Xianfeng era (1851–1861) of the temple records. It suffered severe damage during the Cultural Revolution but was restored and rebuilt in the 1980s under the leadership of the resident monks. The existing structures feature Ming and Qing architectural styles. The temple complex consists of three courtyards: the East Courtyard, the Central Courtyard, and the West Courtyard. The central axis of the Central Courtyard includes a screen wall, a memorial archway, the main gate, the Heavenly King Hall, and the Mahavira Hall, flanked by a bell tower, a drum tower, and a stele corridor. Only the Goddess Hall remains on the central axis of the East Courtyard, with stele pavilions on both sides. The West Courtyard's central axis features an official hall and the Great Mercy Hall, with monk dormitories on either side. The temple houses 36 wooden and bronze statues from the Ming Dynasty, two Ming steles, and 14 Qing steles related to renovations and benefactors. In 1981, it was designated as a county (city-level) cultural relics protection unit by the People’s Government of Yuanping County. (Excerpted from "A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou")

Source: Xinzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

Jingou Village: Located in Zhongyang Township, Yuanping City, Jingou Village lies to the northeast of Yuanping, adjacent to Wufeng Mountain, a provincial second-class forest park. It is about 30 kilometers from Yuanping City and situated in a hilly area along the Hutuo River and its tributaries, at an elevation of around 1,000 meters. The village practices integrated grain and fruit farming. It has a population of 877, with 371 households and 380 laborers. The arable land covers 2,871 mu, all of which are dryland, and there are 3,700 mu of orchard land, growing a full range of varieties including walnuts, dates, papayas, large apricots, and peaches.

To the east of the village lies Wufeng Mountain, home to temples that are renowned Buddhist sacred sites and branch temples of Mount Wutai. The temple complex houses dozens of halls, named... More details about Jingou Village++