Jinhua Tianning Temple

　　    Tianning Temple is situated on the banks of the Wu River in the southeastern part of Jinhua city. In 1988, it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council. It is one of the three typical wooden structures from the Yuan Dynasty in southern China. With its distinct era characteristics and unique architectural style, it attracts many ancient architecture experts and tourists.

　　　　        According to the Guangxu-era "Jinhua County Annals," Tianning Temple, originally named Dazangyuan, was established during the Dazhong Xiangfu period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1008–1016) and was granted the name Chengtian Temple. During Emperor Huizong’s Chongning era, it was renamed Chongning Wanshou Temple. By the Zhenghe years (1111), it had acquired its current name. In 1138, the eighth year of Emperor Gaozong’s Shaoxing reign, it was bestowed the name Baoying Guangxiao Temple in honor of his late father, Emperor Huizong. In the fifth year of the Yuanyou era during Emperor Renzong's reign of the Yuan Dynasty (1318), it was rebuilt. During the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty, it was restored and named Tianning Wanshou Temple. The original complex included a mountain gate, the Heavenly King Hall, a stone pagoda, the Mahavira Hall, the Great Compassion Pavilion, an ancient cypress hall, monks’ quarters, and east and west wing rooms, forming a relatively complete small temple. The only surviving structure is the Mahavira Hall, commonly referred to as the Main Hall of Tianning Temple. The hall is three bays deep and three bays wide, forming a square shape, with a single-eave nine-ridge roof and a post-and-lintel structure. The main beam is a single thick round timber, and where beams intersect, bracket sets (dougong) are used. At stress-heavy joints, a long purlin spans the connections. The hall contains hundreds of bracket sets, resembling flying birds—so many that locals call it “a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix.” The hall was renovated in 1979 and retains its original Yuan Dynasty appearance. Behind the hall are two Song Dynasty cypresses, shaped like soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes, known locally as the "Dragon and Phoenix Cypresses." These trees, over 1,000 years old and quite precious, have unfortunately withered in recent years.

　　　　    Measurements by the Conservation Science and Technology Research Institute of the National Cultural Heritage Administration indicate that some of the main hall’s columns date back a thousand years, while some beams, brackets, and other elements are around 800 years old. These offer extremely valuable physical evidence for studying the evolution of architectural structures in the Jiangnan region from the Song to the Ming Dynasties.

　　    Reference ticket price: Free