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JUNIOR ANTHONY

Shuanglin Temple cured my shoulder and neck problems!

Shuanglin Temple, originally named Zhongdu Si, has an untraceable founding date. A Song dynasty stele within the temple indicates a reconstruction during the Northern Qi dynasty, which suggests that Zhongdu Si has a history of over 1400 years. It was renamed Shuanglin Temple during the Song dynasty. According to Buddhist scriptures, the place where Buddha Sakyamuni entered nirvana was between two sala trees by the Hiranyavati River in Kushinagar, ancient India. At that time, the Buddha lay down between the trees, with his head to the north and face to the west, and passed into nirvana. The trees instantly bloomed with white flowers, which is referred to as 'twin groves entering extinction'. Speaking of Shuanglin Temple, what impressed me the most was the Thousand Buddha Hall I saw at Zhenguo Temple, with its thousands of clay sculptures from the Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods. The hall features a thousand Buddhas, each with a unique face, and even includes sculptures of women opening doors and Bodhisattvas pushing doors. Looking up at the divine Buddhas watching over the hall with serene and peaceful gazes, similar to the Guanyin of Freedom, I felt a sense of inner peace and dared to look directly into the eyes of the divine Buddhas. Here, not only is there the magnificent Guanyin of Freedom and the first Vajrapani, but even the faces of the clay sculptures of the donors are vividly detailed. Shuanglin Temple is not far away. However, taking a taxi in Pingyao can be inconvenient, and there's a high chance you'll have to wait for a taxi that's dropping off other passengers. Alternatively, you can download the Amap app, Didi, or Pingyao Travel. According to a hard-to-come-by rideshare driver I found, ridesharing is not allowed in the Jinzhong area, so it's still best to keep the driver's phone number just in case. The explanation costs 50 yuan per session, and the staff inside recommend the WeChat mini-program 'Sanmao You', which only charges 6 yuan for the guide fee. Remember to bring a cold light flashlight. That day, I encountered a group of students sketching, with charcoal, brush pens, fountain pens, watercolors, and various other drawing tools. After observing, I still think that the brush pen best captures the beauty of Chinese art With just a few strokes, the Vajrapani and Guanyin are vividly portrayed. After staying at Shuanglin Temple for three hours, because I was constantly looking up at the clay sculptures, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my shoulder and neck pain had disappeared when I returned
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*Created by local travelers and translated by AI.
Posted: Apr 8, 2024
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Shuanglin Temple

4.7/5829 reviews | UNESCO World Heritage - Cultural Sites
Pingyao
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