North Temple

North Temple

The North Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The North Temple is situated in the central foothills of the Helan Mountains, within Muren Gaole Sumu of Alxa Left Banner, on the south side of the Wuba Highway, about 25 kilometers from Bayanhot Town. It was founded by the son of the Alxa King after he converted to Buddhism under the Sixth Panchen Lama. Originally called “Zhunhaidi,” it was constructed in the ninth year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1804). In the eleventh year of Jiaqing (1806), the fifth-generation ruler of Alxa, Mahabala, reported the completion of the project to the Lifan Yuan, and Emperor Jiaqing bestowed upon it the name “Fuyin Temple.” Since then, it has been widely known by the name “Fuyin Temple.”

The North Temple is the second-largest temple in the Alxa League, after the South Temple. The temple complex currently consists of 15 main and auxiliary structures, with over a hundred buildings in total. A 10-meter-high white pagoda stands beside the main hall, forming a striking visual pair. The temple is surrounded by rolling hills and winding mountain springs. It lies within the Helan Mountain National Forest Park, a national first-class nature reserve, where visitors can enjoy sightseeing, hiking up steep peaks, and exploring ancient temples. The scenic area includes guesthouses, restaurants, and a Mongolian yurt resort with ethnic characteristics. During the annual temple fair, visitors can observe and participate in Buddhist activities.

The most renowned cultural figure in the history of Fuyin North Temple is Awang Danzeng. He is not only the pride of the North Temple but also a cultural giant in the history of the Alxa League—an eminent scholar who made significant contributions to the cultural development of the Mongolian and Tibetan peoples. Over his lifetime, Awang Danzeng authored more than 40 works in Mongolian and Tibetan, which gained fame both in China and abroad. He is widely recognized as an outstanding grammarian of Mongolian and Tibetan, a religious philosopher, a poet, and a translator whose achievements surpassed those of even the Indian pandits. His timeless works are undoubtedly treasured gems in the garden of ancient Chinese culture. Awang Danzeng was the first Lalongba in the history of the North Temple.