Pingwu Bao'en Temple
报恩寺
A Ming-dynasty Buddhist temple built in palace style from nanmu wood, remarkably well preserved and known as the 'Forbidden City in the mountains'. It has an 11-metre rotating sutra repository.
Pingwu Bao'en Temple sits in the centre of Pingwu County. It was built by the local tusi (hereditary chieftain) during the Zhengtong reign of the Ming dynasty. It is a national key cultural heritage site and one of the best-preserved palace-style Buddhist complexes from the Ming dynasty in China, with halls built from nanmu wood. Highlights include the rotating sutra repository, a statue of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, many carved dragons, bracket sets, and Ming murals. The temple was also one of the filming locations for Black Myth: Wukong. Inside the temple is the Bao'en Temple Museum. Admission prices vary, so check on site. A guide is recommended. A visit takes about 1.5–2 hours.
Opening hours
Approx. 08:30–18:00 (check on site)