"If you haven't been to the Great Ci'en Pavilion, you haven't been to Baoding."

The Great Ci'en Pavilion (Zhenjue Chan Temple) is located on the north side of Yu Hua Road in Baoding City, Hebei Province. It is listed as the first of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Baoding" for its "City Pavilion Reaching the Sky" and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. The Great Ci'en Pavilion was first built in the third year of Chunhua in the Northern Song Dynasty (992) and was rebuilt in the fourth year of Da Zheng in the Jin Dynasty (1227). The Great Ci'en Pavilion covers an area of 1,600 square meters, with a building area of 600 square meters. The existing buildings include the mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the bell tower, the drum tower, the Great Ci'en Pavilion, and the Guan Di Temple. The main building, the main hall pavilion (Great Ci'en Pavilion), was built initially. The Great Ci'en Pavilion is the main building of Zhenjue Chan Temple. Because of its tall and majestic appearance, local people use "Great Ci'en Pavilion" to refer to "Zhenjue Chan Temple." The Great Ci'en Pavilion has three stories with double eaves and a hipped roof. The bottom floor is five rooms wide and three rooms deep. A statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva stands on a lotus petal Sumeru throne, with a natural and peaceful expression. The Guanyin statue is made of wood, 5.5 meters high, with 42 arms holding various Buddhist implements. On both sides of the pavilion, there are murals of the Eighteen Arhats and stories from Buddhist scriptures, which are works from the late Qing Dynasty and are artistic treasures of the pavilion. The Great Ci'en Pavilion is a popular place of worship in Baoding, with activities throughout the year. For example, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, eating a bowl of Ping'an noodles at the Great Ci'en Pavilion to ensure peace for the year is a major event in the lives of many old Baoding residents. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, a prayer and blessing music dinner is held. On the Qingming Festival, a Qingming Festival memorial service is held. There is also the Guanyin's birthday celebration and prayer meeting, praying for national peace and prosperity, and favorable weather. To understand the local culture of Baoding, you should visit the Great Ci'en Pavilion.