On the first day of my hurried trip to Shanxi, my second stop was Zhenguo Temple. Zhenguo Temple belongs to Pingyao County and is a world heritage site. We arrived in the dark and shivering windy afternoon. There were only four of us tourists.
Zhenguo Temple is small, but the architectural courtyard is very beautiful. The sculptures in the temple are very lifelike. And although the temple is small, it has all the internal organs. On both sides of the Tianwang Hall, there are bell and drum towers facing each other. On the bell tower is an iron bell cast in the fifth year of the Emperor's reign in the Jin Dynasty (1145 AD). It has an elegant shape and unique craftsmanship. It is an ancient and rare thing in Pingyao County.
Because there are many sculptures and murals in the temple that are afraid of light, some of them have been closed up. I remember when I entered the Ksitigarbha Hall alone, the clay sculptures inside were so impressive that I was shocked and immediately knelt down to kowtow. A chill came over me, and after paying my respects, I took a few more glances before leaving. If you are upright, you are not afraid of anything. Only today did I know that Ksitigarbha Pavilion is actually hell. But the Ksitigarbha Pavilion usually has a Buddha in the middle and a bunch of kings from the Yama Palace on both sides. The carved wood carvings on it are all about heaven and flying sky, one heaven and one hell, which are the best depictions of life. A heaven, a hell.
My time at Zhenguo Temple was very short, because it was too cold that day and I wore too few clothes. I thought I could handle it almost before I got off the bus, but as soon as I got outdoors, I got cold. I remember it was winter when I went to Datong 7 or 8 years ago. I hope it will be a warmer season next time I come to Shanxi~
