Chongshan Temple
崇善寺
A royal temple founded by Zhu Gang, Prince of Jin, in the early Ming dynasty to honor his mother, Empress Ma; the three colossal Ming-era Bodhisattva statues in the Great Compassion Hall are awe-inspiring.
Chongshan Temple is located on Wenmiao Lane in Yingze District. During the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, Prince Zhu Gang of Jin expanded it to honor his mother, Empress Xiaoci Gaohuang. It was originally a grand family temple of the prince's residence, but after a major fire in the late Qing dynasty only the Great Compassion Hall, the gate, and the drum and bell towers survived. Inside the Great Compassion Hall are three colossal Ming-dynasty clay sculptures of the thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Guanyin, Manjusri and Samantabhadra, about 8 meters tall, with their gilded and painted surfaces well preserved. They are outstanding examples of Ming colored sculpture. The temple also holds cultural relics, including Song-edition scrolled scriptures. It remains an active Buddhist site. Admission is free, and photography is generally not allowed inside the halls, so please respect religious customs. It is right next to the Taiyuan Confucius Temple (Shanxi Folk Museum), a 10-minute walk from Zhonglou Street and Liuxiang, making it a good half-day old-town route together with Chunyang Palace.
Opening hours
About 08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Taiyuan Confucian Temple (Shanxi Archaeology Museum)
- Chunyang Palace (Shanxi Ancient Architecture Museum)
- Zhonglou Street & Liuxiang
- Taiyuan Great Mosque
- Yingze Park
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Taiyuan
- Twin Pagoda Temple (Yongzuo Temple)
- Fen River Scenic Area