Nanchan Temple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Nanchan Temple (Chinese: 南禅寺) is located north bank of Xiaoyinhe, Yangbaigou, 21 kilometers south of Wutai County, Xinzhou, Shanxi Province of China. It is 35 kilometers from Dongzhi town.

The founding year of the temple is unknown. It was rebuilt in Dezong Jianzhong 3rd year (AD 782) of Tang Dynasty, more than 1200 years ago. The temple faces to the south, having a land area of 3078 square meters. It is a preserved location of national historical and cultural relics.

Its main hall is the preserved earliest timber-structured building naionwide, built in Tang Dynasty. It is also the oldest timber-structured building in Asia. The sculptures of Tang Dynasty are masterpieces, and have significant historical and artistic values.

Tang Dynasty is the peak time in China's architecture history, and is also the heydays of Buddhist buildings. However, only four timber-structured buildings of Tang Dynasty are preserved till today, and all of them are in Shanxi Province. Among them, Nanchan Temple and Foguang Temple are located in Mount Wutai. The rest two are Tiantai An in Pingshun County and Guangrenwang Temple in Ruicheng County.