Datong Ciyun Temple: Exploring the Bell and Drum Tower Across Time

🏮 Datong Ciyun Temple: Exploring the Bell and Drum Tower Across Time 🏮
🌟 Ciyun Temple, the treasure of Tianzhen. As the only national protected unit in Tianzhen County, it is not only the sixth batch of national protected units but also a heritage from the Tang Dynasty. The renovation during the Ming Dynasty gave it new life. The temple is located on West Street of Yuquan Town, and its ancient glazed tile gate seems to tell a thousand-year-old story.

🚪 The temple gate is tightly closed, making the exploration journey full of challenges. Upon arrival, the temple gate was tightly closed. After some effort, we knocked on the door of the cultural relics protection office. From the heavy accent of the security guard, we learned that it was "resting," but with our persistence, we finally got to enter the courtyard for a glimpse.

🏯 The architectural beauty of Ciyun Temple:
1️⃣ Bell and Drum Tower: This is the iconic building of Ciyun Temple, with a circular plan, two-tiered pointed roof, surrounded by 8 wooden pillars. This unique design blends grassland culture with Central Plains culture, which is admirable.
2️⃣ Dougong Brackets: The main halls in the temple have exquisite dougong brackets, especially the eight dougong brackets (eleven-step single eaves with four projections) in the Pilu Hall, which is a rare architectural art.
3️⃣ Small Wooden Structures: The east and west walls inside the Pilu Hall have two-tiered, three-eaved wooden wall cabinets for storing scriptures. Although we couldn't see them in person, we can imagine their delicacy and solemnity.
4️⃣ Murals: The Shakyamuni Hall originally had Ming Dynasty murals. Although the style has greatly changed due to repainting, the historical sediment still makes people yearn for it.

🏞️ The quiet temple, the echo of history. Besides us, there were no other visitors in the temple, and this tranquility made us more immersed in the charm of history. Although the buildings are from the Ming Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty style still fascinates people.

📆 Special opening times. It is said that Ciyun Temple is only open to the public on the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month each year for people to pray and welcome the new year. We were extremely lucky to get a glimpse on a non-opening day.

🎉 The first stop of the journey, full of harvest. Under the Bell and Drum Tower of Ciyun Temple, I felt the passage of time and the weight of history. This is not just a trip, but a spiritual baptism.

Post by Alexander Richardson Olivia | Sep 11, 2024