Shuanglin Temple
UNESCO World Heritage Site Buddhist temple
What to see in Shuanglin Temple
The Shuanglin Temple is situated approximately 6 kilometers outside the Pingyao Ancient City Wall, near Qiaotou Village. It makes for a great side trip, easily accessible by taxi, Didi, or even better, by electric bicycle. Cycling to the temple offers a interesting journey through the outskirts of the city.
This temple is a renowned cultural landmark full of history and adorned with unique artwork. Recognized as an important place for preserving China's cultural relics, this temple was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997, alongside Pingyao.
Originally named Zhongdu Temple, its exact founding date remains uncertain, but it's believed to date back over 1500 years according to scripts carved on the stele of Song Dynasty (11th AD), Shuanglin Temple was reconstructed in North Qi Dynasty in about 571 AD.
The temple is famed for its collection of over 2000 painted sculptures, showcasing the artistry of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. These sculptures, ranging from 30 centimetres to 3 meters in height, depict religious and secular themes with remarkable realism and detail.
The temple's layout consists of ten halls each housing unique sculptures and artefacts. The Hall of Heavenly Kings, for instance, features imposing sculptures of Maitreya and four Heavenly Kings, while the Arhat Hall showcases eighteen arhats, each with distinct expressions and postures. Among the highlights is the Thousand Buddhas Hall, where a statue of Guanyin and Skanda are prominently displayed. Another noteworthy feature is the Bodhisattva Hall, housing the Thousand-Armed Guanyin sculpture.
This temple was recently made more known due to its appearance in the video game, Black Myth: Wukong.
Nearby Attractions
How to Get There
China has an impressive railways network so trains are usually the fastest and most convenient means of transportation. They are affordable and easy to use and can be booked in advance with Trip.com. Booking at least a few days in advance is advisable as they tend to get full, particularly on weekends and around the holiday period.
By Public Transportation
If you're travelling from Beijing, which is approximately 1000km away from Xi’an, you can take the speed train. The trains depart from Beijing Fengtai train station and typically take between 4h11 to 5h59 to reach Xi’an North train station. Prices vary from 480 CNY (68$) in 2nd class to 1834 CNY (260$) in business class. If you are on a budget sleeping trains are also available. They can cost as little as 148 CNY (21$) for a bed but take up to 13h to reach Xi’an North train station.
Another common way to get to Xi’an is from Pingyao city. High-speed trains to Xi’an North train station depart from the Pingyaogucheng station. The journey takes about 3 hours and costs between 150 CNY and 450 CNY in business class. Similarly, a sleeper train is also available once a day. It takes about 9 hours to arrive at Xi’an North train station and the harder bed is priced at 142 CNY.
Upon arrival at Pingyao station, there are several transportation options to reach the Shuanglin Temple. To cover the 6km up to the temple, one can take a taxi near the station, use the Didi app (available within WeChat superapp) to request a ride or rent an electric bike. Riding to the temple is safe and easy and it offers an interesting and fun journey through the outskirts of the city..
By Organized Travel Tours
For a seamless and stress-free experience, consider an organized travel packages and guided tours that includes transportations, food and guides. Below are some suggestions to help you plan your trip:
Where to Stay
Pingyao has a wide range of accommodation options both in the inner and outer part of the city wall. Inside the Ancient City Walls you will find many options in the beautiful ancient Chinese-style houses which will definitely add to your experience in the city.
One place we recommend is Pingyao Yiheju Inn. This is where we stayed while in Pingyao and we loved our time their. The room was very comfortable and beautifully decorated in the ancient Chinese style. The hosts were very kind and caring, providing helpful information and always ensuring that we were enjoying our time there. They even lent us their electric bike so that we could go out of the city wall and explore the Shuanglin Temple.
Top Hotel Recommendation in Pingyao
Where to Eat
Finding a good place to eat in Pingyao is not hard however, you might find it hard using maps services like Google Maps or Apple Maps, or even recurring to websites like TripAdvisor. We recommend using Trip.com as your go-to app when in China which might give some clues about the places to eat with reviews and photos.
When strolling through the ancient streets of Pingyao you will find a wide range of delicious restaurants that offer the traditional delicacies of the Shanxi province. As a rule of thumb, when in doubt, choose the places that are full of locals. That typically means that the restaurant is good or famous. The Ming-Qing Street is a great place to start looking for your perfect dinner. Keep an eye out for local delicacies such:
Pingyao Braised Beef (平遥牛肉): Dating back to the Han Dynasty (220B.C.-202A.D.) and known nationwide Pingyao beef is renowned for its tender texture and strong fragrance. For this dish, the old ox is selected, salted in local salt for up to three months, and rinsed through alkaline well water for about twelve hours. You can find this dish in the most of the restaurants of the Ming and Qing Street.
Pingyao Wantuoze (平遥碗脱则): Invented during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by Chef Dong Xuan, Wantuoze is a chewy and savoury dish made of white wheaten flour and steamed. Perfect with wine, it combines the best of bean jelly and sausage.
Make sure to drink the famous regional wine. A great place to try is in Changshengyuan, a century-old shop famous for its Yellow Wine. It is made from yellow sticky rice and wine yeast a perfect complement to Pingyao's flavours.
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