Jinci Temple

» Taiyuan, Shan Xi

Jinci Temple Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

Located 25 kilometers (16 miles) to the southeast of downtown Taiyuan City, Jinci Temple is world-famous ancestral temple. It originally served as the ancestral temple for a prince in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100 B.C. - 771 B.C.), although the modern temple was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 A.D. - 534 A.D.).

Why built it

Jinci Temple has a long history, which can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century B.C. to 711 B.C.), when King Cheng made his younger brother Yu a leader of one of his states. Yu was an intelligent leader who devoted all his energies to making the state prosperous, so his descendants built a temple for him after his death, in order to honor his achievement.

What to see

It is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the buildings look elegant in a classical style. The welcoming boughs of a multitude of ancient trees provide an eye-catching entrance to the temple. Beyond this, the numerous halls, cabinets, pavilions and bridges are guaranteed to keep any visitor enthralled.

Saint Mother Hall

Saint Mother Hall is the oldest wooden building in the city as well as one of the most interesting spot in the temple complex. It is a tribute to Shu Yu's mother. Together with the Flying Bridge across the Fish Pond, and the Offerings Hall, these exquisite buildings provide evidence of a new era in Chinese architecture.

A general look

Splendid and grand, The hall is 19 meters high, has a double-eaved gable and hip roof, and is seven-bay wide and six-bay long. It has yellow and green glazed edges, carved animals with flowers and surrounding corridor. Wood pillars in the front corridor are carved with eight coiling dragons

The Figures of the Maidservant

It is a large-scale building of the Song style. The inner part is enlarged by way of reducing pillars in it. There are 43 painted statues of the Song Dynasty in the hall with the main statue of Saint Mother sitting straightly in the wood niche and other 42 attendants standing on both sides of the niche.

Saint Mother is dressed in a chaplet and official robes, decorous in appearance; while the attendants do different things: some serve meals and take care of daily life; some are responsible for combing, cleaning and sweeping. These statues are the concrete mirrors of the life in court. They are vivid and expressive. All the statues are naturally carved with superb techniques, and are refined works of Chinese painted carvings of the Song Dynasty.

Zhou Cypress

Next to the Hall of the Holy Mother is the Zhou Cypress, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty, has supposedly been growing at an angle of about 30 for the last 900 years.

The Flying Bridge

The Fish Pond is a squared pool, and it is the second source of the Jin River. There is a bridge called Flying Bridge across it. The bridge is enclosed with balustrades on both sides. The whole building looks just like a huge bird ready to fly, hence got the name.

The Nanlao Spring

Water in the Nanlao Spring, the main source of the Jin River, runs from the stone caves under the pavilion year after year. Thus, someone in the Northern Song Dynasty picked a beautiful verse of Yongxi Nanlao (never get old) from The Book of Odes-The Odes of Lu Kingdom to name this spring as Nanlao Spring. The spring water is sparkling and crystal-clear with perennial duckweeds. Poets in all dynasties would admire and praise the spring water

The Jinren Platform

The Jinren Platform, also called the Lotus Platform in the past, has another name of the Tie Taiwei (iron figures of the official) because of the four iron figures on each corner of the platform. The plane of the platform is a square with handrails around it and a 4-meter high colored glaze furnace for burning silks standing in the center.

The best one of the four is a 2-meter-tall iron figures in the southwest corner. The epigraph on his chest, which reads: cast in the 4th year (1097) of the Shaosheng reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279), is not rusted and shining as ever, though it had exercised more than 800 years of trials and hardships. According to The History of Taiyuan County, the temple is the source of the Jinren River, so iron figures were placed here to avoid floods.

Zhenguan Baohan Pavilion

The famous tablet with Inscription and Preface for The Jinci Temple, composed and written by Li Shimin, the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, in the 20th year (646) of the Zhenguan reign, is towering in the Zhenguan Baohan Pavilion. In the late years of the Song Dynasty, the father and son, Li Yuan and Li Shimin, waged a war across the Central Plains and set up the regime of the Tang Dynasty. After that, they came here to thank the blessing of Shu Yu. They built this tablet to praise the system of the Zhou Dynasty and Shu Yu's constructive scheme for a country as well, to eulogize the cultural achievement and military accomplishment, in view of consolidating their own power.

When to visit

Opening Hours: 7:30a.m. - 6:30p.m.

Getting there

By bus: No.804

Attractions around » Taiyuan, Shan Xi

Natural Scene

• Mt. Wutaishan

Historical Site

• Chongshansi Temple
• Jinci Temple

Jinci Temple Highlights

Temple & Monastery in Great China

• Shaolin Temple
• Temple of Heaven
• Jokhang Temple
• Confucius Temple
• A-Ma Temple
• Palkhor Monastery
• Sera Temple
• Drepung Temple
• Rongbuk Temple
• Songzanlin Temple
• Id Kah Mosque
• Lingyin Temple
• Labrang Temple
• Great Buddha at Lingshan
• Golden Temple
• Yuantong Temple
• Tashilhunpo Temple
• Sakya Temple
• Temple of Universal Peace
• Putuo Zongcheng Temple
• Eight Outer Temples
• Famen Temple
• Great Mosque
• Nanputuo Temple
• Jade Buddha Temple
• Town God Temple
• Confucius Temple
• Lama Temple
• White Cloud Temple
• Tar Temple
• Santa Sophia Church
• 108 Dagobas
• Memorial Temple of Lord Bao
• White Horse Temple
• Qiongzhu Temple
• Hanging Temple
• Hanshan Temple
• Gaomiao Temple at Zhongwei
• Giant Buddha Temple
• Xiangguo Temple
• Yufeng Lamastery
• Chongshansi Temple
• Dule Temple
• Anyuan Temple
• White Horse Pagoda
• Trandruk Temple
• Dai Temple
• Pagoda of Songyue Temple
• Ramoche Temple
• Guanlin Temple
• Huayan Temple
• Kaiyuan Temple
• Samye Temple
• Jinci Temple
• Confucius Temple
• Ganden Temple
• Dabeiyuan Temple
• Wuhou Memorial Temple
• Shanhua Temple
• Ruins of St. Paul's
• Temple of Universal Happiness
• Great Bell Temple
• Qingjing Mosque
• Hongfu Temple
• Dazhao Temple
• Five Pagoda Temple
• Baoguo Temple
• Wudangzhao Temple
• Shalu Temple
• Bailin Temple, Great Zen Buddhist Center
• Longhua Temple
• Jile Temple
• Chengtiansi Pagoda
• Nanguan Muslim Mosque
• Qingyanggong Temple
• Ba Xian An Temple
• Tianhou Palace
• Guiyuan Temple
• Linggu Temple
• Najiahu Mosque at Yongning
• Haibao Pagoda
• Xilitu Zhao
• Dongguan Mosque
• Jiegu Temple

Jinci Temple FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. Are there any tips about the weather in Taiyuan?

  Food

1. What should I note when eating in Shanxi?

  Shopping

1. What speciality products does Shanxi have?

  Travel

1. Some tips on touring around temples on Mt. Wutaishan

• Are there any tips about the weather in Taiyuan?

  Shanxi province is located on the Loess Plateau and is windy and dusty. So you had better not dress in light color. Besides, the air is dry and you should take good care of your skin, and drink more water, or else your lips will be chapped.

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• What should I note when eating in Shanxi?

  The soil in Shanxi province is alkaline, so we strongly recommend you to drink a spoon of local mature vinegar before your three meals a day because the local vinegar could reduce the alkalescence and prevent intestinal disease.

  Proper diet is important. Do not eat too much. Eat more vegetables, fruits and drink more water in order to adapt yourself to the plateau-climate. You had better not smoke or drink.

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• What speciality products does Shanxi have?

  Pingyao beef, Pingyao lacquerwork, Shanxi mature vinegar, Shanxi red date, "Fen jiu" (a kind of famous Chinese hard liquor), mushrooms and tropaeolum of Mount Wutaishan and so on.

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• Some tips on touring around temples on Mt. Wutaishan

  The mountain area is scattered with many famous temples which are the highlights of Mt. Wutaishan tour. There are several aspects tourists should pay attention to, such as:

  • Monk in these temples should be styled "Shifu" or "Fashi" while the abbot styled "Zhanglao," "Fangzhang," or "Shanshi (Chan master)." All the forms of address show the respect for the monks. Monk in lamasery should be addressed as "lama," meaning great master. Do not call them "Heshang" or "Chujiaren" or even other insulting name.
  
  
  • When meeting monks in these temples, you should salute them by putting the palms together and lowering your head slightly or you can put upright one of your hand before chest and lower your head. Never shake their hands, embrace them, touch their heads or other unsuitable action.
  
  
  • When talking with the monks, you should not speak of killing, marriage and eating meat in order to avoid arousing their antipathy. Don't speak loudly, discuss casually, lampoon, touch the Buddhist figures or leave any mark on statues. You may stand and look silently or leave quietly if you come across the Buddhist ceremony. Take care of your kids lest naive children behave impolitely.
  
  
  • No smoking in the temples. Do not leave litter. Taking photographs is not permitted.
  
  
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