Jiaoshan Temple

Jiaoshan Temple

Jiaoshan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jiaoshan Temple

Jiaoshan Temple is situated on the northern slope of Shili River’s east bank, north of Gaoshan Town, about sixty li west of Datong City. The architecture is terraced and combines caves with temple buildings, including the Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes. Although its exact founding date is unclear, the existing grottoes and their artistic style resemble the late-stage carvings of the Yungang Grottoes. The main structures of the current temple were built during the Jiajing era, and the brick pagoda atop it was also erected around that time. Additionally, inscriptions left by visitors in the grottoes from the fifth year of the Yongle era in the Ming Dynasty (1407 AD), as well as the second and seventh years of the Zhengtong era (1437 and 1442 AD), indicate that this was a period of prosperity for Jiaoshan Temple. The temple derives its name from Mount Jiao, on which it stands. The temple complex rises tier by tier from bottom to top, contracting at each level. Viewed from afar, it resembles a multi-tiered, cone-shaped pavilion—striking and majestic.

Folklore: Yang Ye, a renowned general of the Northern Song Dynasty, once led troops to resist the Liao army in this area and later died in battle. General Jiao Zan searched for Yang Ye’s remains here and perished in the process. In his honor, later generations built a temple known as “Jiao Zan Temple.” The similar pronunciation of “Jiao Shan” (焦山) and “Jiao Zan” (焦赞) may have led to the conflation of the two stories.