Dayun Temple, Jingchuan

大云寺

The former site of the Tang-dynasty Dayun Temple, ordered built by Empress Wu Zetian. A five-layer nested relic container was unearthed here, and today a Tang-style pagoda and museum stand as a leading showcase of Buddhist culture in the Longdong region.

Dayun Temple is located east of the county seat of Jingchuan, in Pingliang. Its predecessor was the Daxing Guosi Temple from the Northern Zhou period. During the Tianshou era of Empress Wu's Zhou dynasty (after 690), Empress Wu Zetian ordered Dayun Temples built in prefectures across the empire, and the Jingzhou Dayun Temple was one of them. In 1964, a Tang-dynasty relic crypt dating to the first year of the Yanzai era (694) was discovered here. It held a five-layer nested relic container made of a stone case, gilt bronze box, silver outer coffin, gold coffin, and glass bottle, a precious testament to Tang relic burial practices. The original objects are now held by the Gansu Provincial Museum. Around 2013, a Northern Song Buddhist relic crypt was found nearby. The present Dayun Temple is a Tang-style reconstruction near the original site, centered on a multi-story Tang-style wooden pagoda. It also houses the Jingchuan Dayun Temple Museum, which displays Buddhist statues and relic culture. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for a visit, which can be combined with the Huishan Queen Mother Palace right next door for a half-day trip. Admission follows the scenic area. Getting there: from urban Pingliang, drive or take a bus for about 1 to 1.5 hours to the Jingchuan county seat, then take a taxi to the temple.

Dayun Temple, Jingchuan

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