The Treasure Temple - Guangsheng Temple

✅ The world-renowned Guangsheng Temple, located in Hongtong County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province, was originally named Julushe Temple, also known as Yuying Pagoda Courtyard. It was founded in the first year of Jianhe during the Eastern Han Dynasty under Emperor Huan, flourished during the Tang Dynasty, and was renamed Guangsheng Temple. During the Jin and Yuan dynasties, it was destroyed in wars and earthquakes, but through several reconstructions, Guangsheng Temple has developed an architectural style that retains the legacy of the Tang and Song dynasties, as well as features of the Jin and Yuan dynasties. ✅ Apart from the Feihong Pagoda and the Mahavira Hall of the upper temple, which were rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty, the rest of the buildings are from the Yuan Dynasty. 👍👍👍 The 'Three Wonders and One Marvel' of Guangsheng Temple ❤ One Wonder: The Colorful Liuli Pagoda - Feihong Pagoda The Feihong Pagoda is the iconic structure of Guangsheng Temple, located in the upper temple and built during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. It has 13 levels, and the entire pagoda is decorated with glazed figures of flowers, coiling dragons, birds, beasts, Buddha statues, bodhisattvas, and vajras. Despite having withstood a magnitude eight earthquake, the colors remain as vibrant as ever. The Feihong Pagoda is the only glazed pagoda in China that still has inscriptions by the craftsmen, and it is the oldest, tallest, and most intact. It is a representative masterpiece of Chinese glazed pagodas. In August 2018, the 'Feihong Pagoda' was certified by the World Record Certification Agency as the 'World's Tallest Multicolored Glazed Pagoda'. ❤ Second Wonder: The Unique Treasure - Zhaocheng Jin Tripitaka Inside the Amitabha Hall of the upper temple, red scripture cabinets are displayed along the walls, where the second wonder and unique treasure, the 'Zhaocheng Jin Tripitaka,' was originally kept. This scripture collection, carved during the Jin Dynasty and discovered in Zhaocheng Guangsheng Temple in 1933, is the only one of its kind in the world, making it a rare gem. It is now housed in the National Library of China and is one of the four treasures of the library, alongside the 'Yongle Encyclopedia,' 'Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature,' and 'Dunhuang Manuscripts.' ❤ Third Wonder: National Treasure - Yuan Dynasty Drama Murals The existing murals are located inside the main building of the Shuishen Temple, the Mingying Wang Hall. These are the only ancient murals in China that do not depict Buddhist or Taoist themes, making them a unique example and a model of painting art. Among them, the mural 'Great Prosperity and Loyalty Showcased Here' is the only large-scale Yuan Dynasty drama mural discovered in China so far; another mural, 'Pounding Pills,' depicts a sport that is the precursor to modern golf and is the earliest record of this sport in China. In 1998, these two murals were included in the 'History of China' textbook. ❤ One Marvel: Tang Dynasty Twisted Ancient Cypress Trees In front of the Mahavira Hall of the upper temple, there is a thousand-year-old cypress tree on each side. These two towering ancient cypress trees, over 1300 years old, one to the east and one to the west, have symmetrical patterns, with the left one twisting to the left and the right one spiraling to the right, which is quite peculiar. ❤✅ Others: In addition to the 'Three Wonders and One Marvel,' Guangsheng Temple also has many well-preserved ancient relics. For example, the architectural style of the Buddha Hall in the lower temple represents the building level of the Yuan Dynasty and is hailed as a model of economic and aesthetic appropriateness in the history of Chinese architecture. There are colored sculptures from the Yuan Dynasty, wooden carvings and Buddha statues from the Ming Dynasty; hollow iron-cast Arhat statues from the Ming Dynasty, praise poems inscribed by Emperor Taizong of Tang during his visit to Guangsheng Temple; a wooden plaque inscribed by Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty with the words 'Glorious Forever,' and so on. Guangsheng Temple is truly a treasure trove. 📝tips: 1. It is recommended to hire a guide for a more detailed understanding of the ancient relics of Guangsheng Temple. The upper temple tour costs 50 yuan, and the lower temple tour costs 30 yuan. 2. Taking a car to the upper temple is more energy-saving, with a shuttle costing 10 yuan per person per trip. 3. The adult ticket for Guangsheng Temple is 50 yuan.