Jinzhong: The Painted Sculptures of Shuanglin Temple

After leaving the Ancient City of Pingyao, I took a taxi to Shuanglin Temple, about 7 or 8 km west of the ancient city. This is a must-see in Jinzhong, as the painted sculptures here are famous both in China and abroad. I sincerely admire this treasure trove of art. There is a paifang (archway) to the west of Shuanglin Temple. Inside, there is a stage built in the Qing dynasty on the south side, with a modern painted sculpture of Sun Wukong, which is stunning and lifelike. To the north is the front gate wall of Shuanglin Temple. This is not only a walled temple, but also a defensive wall of the border, more than 3 meters high, which can be climbed. The Hall of Heavenly Kings features the Four Heavenly Kings, who are extraordinary. They look very powerful, with both form and spirit, and are works from the Northern Wei period. The eyes of the four heavenly kings look in different directions. According to the guide, the Four Heavenly Kings guard the temple. There are no blind spots in 180°, and from any angle opposite, there is a pair of eyes staring at you. I stood for a long time, admiring this artistic masterpiece. Behind the main hall is the Jialan Hall, with painted sculptures of Guan Gong, and hanging sculptures behind, telling the stories of Guan Gong's Oath of the Peach Garden, Flooding of the Seven Armies, and more. Inside the Arhat Hall are statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Eighteen Arhats. The Arhat statues are similar to secular people, and these are Ming dynasty style statues. Inside the Shijia Hall is a statue of Shakyamuni. On both sides are the two bodhisattvas, Manjushri and Samantabhadra. The two walls show 48 important events in the life of the Buddha, from birth to nirvana, with small painted sculptures depicting the lives of ancient people in different styles. In the third courtyard, the Thousand Buddha Hall features a statue of Guanyin and a hundred bodhisattvas, who face the main statue of Guanyin, and is an important Buddhist hall in Shuanglin Temple. The statue of Weituo standing on the side of Guanyin is known as the first Weituo statue in China, with a sense of movement in stillness and extremely expressive eyes. The Bodhisattva Hall is opposite the Thousand Buddha Hall, with a seated statue of Guanyin with 26 arms, and different painted sculptures of bodhisattvas behind. The highest hall is the Mahavira Hall, with seven Buddha statues, a Ming dynasty building, and a statue of the Bodhisattva of Guidance, made of iron, which is rare in China. Behind the Mahavira Hall is the Niangniang Hall, with five statues of the Niangniang of Childbirth. This was built by the people, and the artistic quality of the painted sculptures is far inferior to the halls in front. Finally, I climbed the city wall, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the ancient temple buildings, with flying eaves and dougong brackets. Every step I took seemed to tread on a thousand years of history and culture. Nan Nan and I took a photo here, capturing a beautiful moment with this artistic treasure.