Shuanglin Temple

Shuanglin Temple (Double Tree Temple), originally named Zhongdu Temple, is located 6km southwest from Pingyao. In the northern Song Dynasty, in order to memorialize Buddha who attained Nirvana under two trees in a forest. Repaired several times, the existing buildings were constructed in the Ming Dynasty.

The temple consists of ten large and small halls, and the sutra chanting hall and the monks' rooms. The ten halls include the Heavenly Kings' Hall, the Arhats' Hall, the Mahavira Hall (Da Xiong Bao Dian), and the One-Thousand Buddha Hall, the Sakyamuni Hall, the Bodhisattva Hall, the Ti-tsang Bodhisattva Hall, the Guan Yu's Hall and two other halls.

Inside are over 1,500 sculptures made of painted clay over a wooden framework. They demonstrate the artistic styles of painted sculptures of the Tang, Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties. Because Shuanglin Temple contains the most as well as some of the best-preserved painted sculptures in China, it is called the 'Oriental Treasure House of Painted Sculptures'.