Dule Temple
» Tianjin, He Bei

独乐寺 千年古刹

The Dule Temple is also called Great Buddha Temple (Dafosi), is one of the oldest and best-preserved tall wooden structures in China and situated inside the western gate of Jixian County of Tianjin Municipality.

History

The Dule Temple is established in the early years of the Xuanzong reign in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). The temple consists of east, west and central parts, with monks' rooms and Xanadus in the east and west parts, and the temple gate and the Kwan-yin Pavilion in the central part. According to documents, in the 2nd year (984) of the Tonghe reign, the temple was rebuilt. Except the temple gate and Kwan-yin Pavilion built in the Liao Dynasty (916 - 1125), other buildings in the temple were all built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1911).

What to visit

The temple gate

The temple gate built on low-lying stairs is 16.57 meters long, 2 bays deep and 8.76 meters wide. Two earthen statues of Fierce-Looking Guards stand as the gatekeepers in both sides of the pylon. The temple gate has a single-eaved palace roof, the earliest roof of its kind extant today in China. Under the eastern roof hangs a horizontal inscribed board with the name of the temple on it, which is said to have been written by Yan Song, the wicked premier of the Ming Dynasty.

The Kwan-yin Pavilion

Passing the temple gate through stairs up to the north, there is the Kwan-yin Pavilion with 5 bays wide, 4 bays deep and 23 meters high. It is the oldest extant pavilion architecture in China. On the pedestal at the center of the pavilion stands a Kwan-yin statue of 16 meters high. The Kwan-yin Pavilion is centered on the statue and surrounded by two rows of pillars.

  • Eleven-face Kwan-yin statue
    The pavilion contains a standing statue of the Kwan-yin Bodhisattva with the heads of ten small Buddhas above it. The sixteen-meter-high statue is known as the "Eleven-face Kwan-yin," one of the largest painted clay sculptures in China. Flanking it are two ferocious and gigantic guardians, which, together with the heavenly guardians inside the gate, are masterpieces of Liao Dynasty sculpture.
  • Roof beams
    The roof beams are settled around the statue, and there is an octagonal sunk panel over the head of the statue.
  • Four walls
    The four walls of the pavilion's first floor are all decorated with color frescoes, whose subject matters include 16 standing Arhats, a Buddha with 3 heads and 6 arms, the Ming King with 4 arms, sceneries and folk customs, which are all masterpieces done by famous painters in the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1271 - 1644).

Superb architectural skill

The Kwan-yin Pavilion, one of the main buildings of the temple, is 23 meters high with 24 different kinds of arches, and shows a superb architectural skill. It survived 28 earthquakes including 3 destructive ones, and it is still magnificent and unshakable. Undoubtedly, it is the best-preserved wooden structured and high storied piece of architecture built by the ancient Chinese.

Attractions around » Tianjin, He Bei

Natural Scene

Natural Scene

Historical Site

Historical Site

Cultural Site

Cultural Site

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Day Entertainment & Sports

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Shopping & Leisure

The Dule Temple is the representative work of ancient Chinese wooden architecture, and its superb architectural techniques made it endure many intense earthquakes but still stand there intact.



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