China is famous for many things regarding its culture and language. One part of Chinese culture that makes it so identifiable is the beautiful architecture. China is renowned for its ornate temples throughout the country.
The Temple of Heaven or 天坛(Tiāntán) is one of the most famous temples. It can be found just south of The Forbidden City and even predates Buddhism in China, making it the first Chinese temple. It is clear how much work went into building the temple, as it took around 14 years to build during Emperor Yongle’s reign. The temple includes various elements of symbolism. The design and arrangement of the sacred place represent the relationship between heaven and earth, a main factor of ancient Chinese cosmology. There is also more symbolism in relation to numerology. Since there were four seasons, 12 months, and the 24-hour day could be alloted into 12 two-hour periods, the pillars in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest or 祈年殿 (Qínián Diàn) were organized as so with 12 inner columns, four main columns, and 12 outer columns. The other buildings that make up the temple are just as beautiful and are called the Imperial Vault of Heaven or 皇穹宇 (Huáng Qióngyǔ) and the Circular Mound Altar or 圜丘坛 (Huán Qiū Tán).
Another interesting temple is the Shaolin Temple or 少林寺 (Shàolínsì) that housed monks as far back as the 6th century. At the temple, a certain type of kung fu called Shaolin kung fu originated. Today, this temple is renowned among those who practice kung fu. One aspect that makes the temple so interesting is all of the pagodas that were created to serve as tombs and are still spread across the grounds.
Lingying Temple or 灵隐寺 (Líng Yǐn Sì) is famous for its beautiful statues of Buddhist legends. It was founded in the 4th century. There are many buildings that make up this temple including the Hall of the Great Hero, Hall of the Heavenly King, and Hall of the Buddha and Medicine. It is known today as one of the largest Buddhist temples in China.
One of the most peculiar ancient Chinese temples is the Hanging Temple or 悬空寺 (Xuánkōng Sì) that was founded during the Qin Dynasty. This temple is so peculiar because it was built hanging off the side of a cliff, 75 meters off the ground. Another aspect that makes this temple so interesting is that it is the only temple where Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are all practiced.
An incredible temple can be found in the Chinese city of Xi’an (西安). There stands the amazing Big Wild Goose Pagoda at the Da Ci’en Temple or 大慈恩寺 (Dàcí’ēn Sì), where Buddhism is practiced. The temple was said to be built by Xuanzang (玄奘), a Buddhist monk whose story was featured in the ancient Chinese classic, Journey to the West.
Sources:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/attraction/temple-of-heaven.htm
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/temples-and-monasteries/
https://www.thechinaguide.com/blog/ten-most-incredible-temples-in-china
https://www.chinahighlights.com/hangzhou/attraction/lingyin-temple.htm
Wow, what a great article! These Chinese temples look so beautiful. Before reading this article, I never knew that all of the pagodas that were created in the Shaolin Temple were used to serve as tombs and are still spread across the grounds. I also learned that the Hanging Temple is the only temple where Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are all practiced. Thank you for sharing!
中国有很多不同的寺庙,这些寺庙里面是世代传承的道义,这些寺庙里面的东西是中国的精髓,希望它们能够一直被继续传承下去
Great article! It was super informative and the pictures you added are amazing, I never knew some of these temples existed, but I’ll be sure to visit them the next time I go to China. I especially loved the Hanging temple, it looks stunning and is amazing that it has held up all these centuries.
Those temples look stunning and absolutely amazing! They’re such great examples of Ancient Chinese architecture, I really like how different each one is from one another and how they represent different periods in Chinese history. I particularly liked the Hanging Temple since its design is so unique. If I ever visit China, I’ll be sure to check some of these places out!
I love this article! I never knew that China had so many famous temples. Chinese architecture is so interesting and cool. It’s my dream to be able to visit the Forbidden City and learn more about Chinese culture.
Ni hao
This was a really intesting, I never knew China had so many temples. It was intresting to learn that the temples symoblize many things. It was very nice to learn about there rich culture.
This was a really intesting, I never knew China had so many temples. It was intresting to learn that the temples symoblize many things. It was very nice to learn about there rich culture.
These temples are very fascinating! It was very interesting to learn about all of these temples in china! I will be sure to take a look deeper more chinese temples.