Duofu Temple

Duofu Temple

Duofu Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Duofu Temple is located atop Juewei Mountain, about 24 kilometers northwest of Taiyuan City. It was originally built in the second year of the Zhenyuan era during the Tang Dynasty (786 AD), initially named Juewei Teaching Temple, and later renamed to its current name. During the Tang Dynasty, the father-and-son rulers Li Keyong and Li Cunxu (Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang) once visited the temple to worship and burn incense, marking an unprecedented heyday for the temple. The temple was destroyed by war at the end of the Song Dynasty, rebuilt during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, and underwent multiple renovations afterwards. Currently, there are seven extant structures: the mountain gate, bell tower, Mahavira Hall, Manjusri Pavilion, Scripture Depository, and the east and west wing halls. The Mahavira Hall, which is the main hall, is grand in scale and houses 84 murals and some statues, all dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The only structure that remains from the Song Dynasty is the brick pagoda on the mountain peak in front of the temple. Within the temple is the Shuanghong Alcove, where Fu Shan, a renowned scholar from Taiyuan during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, once lived in seclusion. Nestled in a small valley at the mountaintop, the temple is graced by a gentle, clear stream that winds past its front and flows down with a murmuring sound, adding to the ancient charm of the monastery.

The temple faces south and currently has seven extant structures: the mountain gate, bell tower, Mahavira Hall, Manjusri Pavilion, Scripture Depository, and the east and west wing halls. The Mahavira Hall is the main hall, grand in scale, and contains 84 murals and some statues, all dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The temple’s gable walls feature 84 Ming Dynasty murals depicting the life of Sakyamuni Buddha, painted in gold and colors with raised pigments—vivid and richly colored, these are masterpieces among Ming Dynasty Buddhist temple murals. The Red Leaf Cave, located beneath the Scripture Depository in the second courtyard, served as the reading place for the philosopher Fu Shan.

In May 2006, Duofu Temple, as an ancient architectural site from the Ming to Qing periods, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units