Atlas of China
Shuanglin Temple 双林寺Shuānglín Sì
Some 2,000 painted clay Buddhas, saints and guardians crowded into ten temple halls
- Best time
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Days to budget
- Half a day
- Stay in
- Pingyao
- Region
- Shanxi
- Type
- Heritage
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area, National heritage site, UNESCO World Heritage
Why go to Shuanglin Temple
About 6 km south-west of Pingyao's walls and part of the Pingyao World Heritage Site, Shuanglin Temple hides behind a high, fortress-like wall, and its ten halls around three courtyards hold some 2,000 painted clay figures made between the 12th and 19th centuries, many of them in the Ming dynasty. Look for the arhats (Buddhist saints) in the Arhat Hall and, in the Thousand Buddha Hall, the relaxed Guanyin and the twisting guardian Weituo, the temple's best-known figure.
The story
The temple was first called Zhongdu, after the ancient town on whose site it stands, and was renamed in the Song dynasty after the twin sal trees (shuanglin) beneath which the Buddha is said to have died. A stele in the grounds records a rebuilding in 571, so the temple itself is older still.
What to see at Shuanglin Temple
- Hall of Heavenly Kings 天王殿: Four guardian kings each about three metres tall guard the entrance verandah,, and inside sits a crowned Maitreya.
- Shakyamuni Hall 释迦殿: Tableaux of scenes from the Buddha's life stand around the hall, many of the figures tilted forward by 10 to 20 degrees to suit the viewer below.
- Arhat Hall 罗汉殿: Eighteen arhats in Song style, including the mute arhat who seems about to speak.
- Thousand Buddha Hall 千佛殿: Life-size donor figures from the nearby villages stand by the door, and an unceremonious Guanyin sits in the main place.
- Weituo 韦驮像: The 50-centimetre guardian is bent like a drawn bow, and is praised locally as the finest of its kind.
- Bodhisattva Hall 菩萨殿: A thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Guanyin stands at the centre.
How to visit Shuanglin Temple
Enter through the fortress-like wall and follow the central axis through the Heavenly Kings and Shakyamuni halls, then the great hall with the Thousand Buddha and Bodhisattva halls beside it, and finally the rear courtyard. Look up as well as ahead: about three-quarters of the figures are made in the hanging-modelling technique. An hour or two is enough, and it pairs with Zhenguo Temple or a day in Pingyao.
How to get to Shuanglin Temple
Shuanglin is about 6 km south-west of Pingyao's old town and close to Pingyao Gucheng high-speed station, under an hour from Taiyuan South; a taxi from either takes 10–20 minutes.
Where to stay
Stay in Pingyao's old town and take a short taxi ride out, as the temple is in a village outside the walls.
What to eat
- Wantuo 碗托: A Pingyao noodle snack of gelled batter, sliced and eaten with sauce.
- Candied long yam 拔丝长山药: Pingyao's protected-origin long yam, fried and coated in caramel.
- Oil tea 油茶: A thick savoury toasted-flour drink, a traditional Pingyao breakfast.
Tips for visiting Shuanglin Temple
- Zhenguo Temple, the other temple in the Pingyao World Heritage listing, is about 12 km north-east of town; its Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, built in 963, is one of China's oldest timber halls and keeps its 10th-century sculptures.
- Shuanglin and Zhenguo are not covered by the Pingyao old-town through ticket; each sells its own.
Nearby
- Pingyao Ancient City 平遥古城 under 10 km
An intact Ming walled town of courtyard inns, where China's first draft banks were born - Mount Mian 绵山 40 km
Cliff temples, plank walkways and gorges on the mountain of the Cold Food legend - Qiao Family Compound 乔家大院 40 km
Walled courtyards of a Qing merchant-banking family, the set for Raise the Red Lantern - Wang Family Compound 王家大院 40 km
Fortified courtyard 'castles' of a Qing merchant and official clan on a loess hillside - Jinci Temple 晋祠 70 km
Song-dynasty halls, painted clay maidservants and a cross-shaped bridge at the Jin springs - Shanxi Museum 山西博物院 80 km
Bronzes of the ancient state of Jin, Buddhist statues and tomb treasures on the Fen River
Also within 30 km: Former Residence of Lei Lütai 雷履泰旧居 (under 10 km), Nanshen Temple, Gankeng 干坑南神庙 (under 10 km), Rishengchang 日升昌票号旧址 (under 10 km), Pingyao Market Tower (Shilou) 平遥市楼 (under 10 km), Pingyao Confucian Temple 平遥文庙 (under 10 km), City God Temple, Pingyao 平遥城隍庙 (under 10 km).
Trips with Shuanglin Temple
- North China’s heritage line: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an 9 days · Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi'an
On the map
Open Shuanglin Temple on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Shuanglin Temple on the map