Shuanglin Temple

双林寺

A “treasure house of Eastern painted sculpture,” with more than 2,000 Song, Yuan and Ming painted clay sculptures across ten halls. The Weituo statue and the thousand-armed Guanyin are peaks of ancient Chinese sculpture.

Shuanglin Temple is in Qiaotou Village, 6 km southwest of Pingyao's old city. Originally called Zhongdu Temple, it was founded in the Northern Wei, and most surviving buildings were rebuilt in the Ming. It was included in the Pingyao Ancient City World Heritage site in 1997. The temple faces south and is enclosed by earthen walls like a fortress. Its three courtyards and ten halls hold 2,052 painted sculptures, mostly from the Song, Yuan and Ming, depicting buddhas, bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, arhats and donors. It is praised as the “Eastern treasure house of painted sculpture.” Must-sees: the four Heavenly Kings in the Hall of Heavenly Kings, over 3 m tall and imposing; the Weituo statue in the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, whose body twists in an S-curve and whose gaze is fierce, widely regarded as the most vivid warrior statue in ancient Chinese sculpture; the relaxed Guanyin at Ease in the same hall; the thousand-armed Guanyin in the Bodhisattva Hall, whose 26 arms spread like a peacock's tail; and the eighteen arhats in the Arhat Hall, each with a distinct expression. These Ming works are remarkably realistic. Photography is not allowed inside the halls, and the light is dim, so consider a guide or an audio guide for close looking. Admission is about 40 yuan and is not included in the Old Town pass. Getting there: a taxi from the old town takes about 20 minutes, or you can take Bus 11. You can also hire a car to visit with Zhenguo Temple for a half-day trip, about 150 yuan. Tips: the halls are fenced off, so the statues are some distance away. Bring a small pair of binoculars. The temple gets few visitors and is good for quiet viewing.

Shuanglin Temple

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