Sanzang Temple

Sanzang Temple

Sanzang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Sanzang Temple, also known as Da’an Temple, is located in Longquan Village, Nitun Town, Yangqu County, to the north of Taiyuan City. It lies 60 kilometers from Taiyuan City and 43 kilometers from the county seat, and is a county-level key cultural relics protection unit. The exact founding date of the temple is unknown (it is said to have been built during the Tang Dynasty), but one surviving section of a stone pagoda dates back to the eighth year of the Tianhui era of the Jin Dynasty (1130 AD). Sanzang Temple sits against Wanshou Mountain (also called Longevity Mountain), faces Longquan River and Yaya Mountain, and consists of a main courtyard facing west and extending east, and a side courtyard facing north and extending south. There are currently 63 halls, 25 dormitories, and 20 cave dwellings, covering an area of about 5,000 square meters. In addition, there are pagoda fields, gardens, and forested hills, bringing the total scenic area to around 100,000 square meters.

The main courtyard is a three-courtyard quadrangle structure. Entering through the mountain gate, you will successively pass through the hallway hall, the Heavenly King Hall, and the Mahavira Hall, all of which have been restored. There are gates at the front and rear, and bell and drum towers with cross-shaped hip-and-gable roofs flank the hallway hall. The bell tower houses an iron bell cast in the ninth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1530 AD). In the center of the courtyard stands an eight-sided, three-tiered stone incense stand from the second year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1507 AD), topped with a lotus-shaped stone cover. The column is carved with various floral patterns symbolizing good fortune. Beside the incense stand are three tall pine trees and one cypress.

The side courtyard is located to the north of the Mahavira Hall. To the east is the Goddess Hall, to the south the Guanyin Pavilion, to the west the Kṣitigarbha Hall, and to the north the Water-Land Hall. The statues inside these halls are largely well preserved. The Water-Land Hall is a venue for the Buddhist Water-Land Dharma Assembly. Originally built in the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1643 AD), the hall underwent full restoration between 1998 and 2001. Inside, there are over 350 statues of varying sizes and six coiled dragons, most of which are well preserved. The statues are arranged in a three-tiered heaven formation, representing the essence of the temple’s cultural relics. A hall like the Water-Land Hall, where the Three Teachings coexist and numerous figures are depicted, is truly rare among temples in our province.

Longquan Village: Longquan Village is located 25 kilometers northwest of Nitun Town, with a resident population of 534 and 2,876 mu of arable land. The main crops grown here are field crops such as corn, millet, potatoes, and soybeans. To the west of the village lies the scenic Sanzang Temple, which is said to have been built during the Tang Dynasty in honor of Tripitaka.

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