Chongshan Temple

Chongshan Temple

Chongshan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Chongshan Temple (First Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Ming Dynasty

Address: Dilianggong Street, Yingze District, Taiyuan City

Originally named Baima Temple, it was later renamed Yanshou Temple and Zongshan Temple, and was given its current name, Chongshan Temple, during the Ming Dynasty. The temple was first established during the Sui and Tang dynasties. In the 14th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1381), Zhu Youlang, the third son of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and the Prince of Jin, expanded the temple significantly on its original site in memory of his mother, Empress Gao. The construction was completed in the 24th year of the Hongwu era. In the 3rd year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1864), most of the buildings were destroyed by fire, leaving only the main hall, the Great Compassion Hall.

The Great Compassion Hall is seven bays wide and four bays deep, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. It is situated on a high platform foundation and covers a construction area of over 900 square meters. The roof tiles are edged with yellow-green glazed tiles. The upper eaves display intricately carved brackets, while the lower ones are adorned with delicate carvings. The hall's name plaque is inscribed in regular script. The interior columns are painted in red lacquer. The surroundings are lush and verdant.

Inside the hall, the Buddhist altar houses three statues: the Eleven-faced Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, the Thousand-bowl Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, all standing over 8 meters tall. These are relics from the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. The temple also preserves Tibetan Buddhist scriptures from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, most of which have precise dating. Additionally, two sets of Ming Dynasty mural reproductions are kept inside the hall, serving as typical examples of early Ming religious paintings.

Address: No. 9, Chongshan Temple, Dilianggong Street, Yingze District, Taiyuan City

Type: Historical Site / Temple

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0351-4050281

Opening Hours:

Monday–Sunday, 8:00–17:00

Ticket Information:

Free admission. Entry is free, but a 2-yuan incense ticket (for three sticks of incense) is required. No ticket is needed on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month or during major festivals.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shanxi Province