Kaishan Temple｜The thrilling moment of embracing the thousand-year-old structure in the cold wind

I was standing in front of the gate of Kaishan Temple when the cold wind blew across my cheeks. This ancient temple from the Liao Dynasty, hidden deep in the ancient village of Gaobeidian City, Baoding, Hebei Province, now looks like amber frozen in time in the freezing temperature of zero degrees. The iron horses hanging from the eaves sing in the wind, and the bronze sound spanning thousands of years and the whistling of wind among the brackets are like the breath of the Khitan craftsmen across time and space. … I heard that Kaishan Temple has reopened. It is almost the time of Waking of Insects and spring is getting stronger. I originally planned to go there on the weekend, but when I woke up on Sunday, the temperature dropped sharply and snowflakes were falling. I came after a little hesitation. When I walked into the faded red lacquer door, I was greeted by not only the subtle fragrance of pine and cypress, but also a mysterious tremor that spanned ancient and modern times. Although I was freezing, my heart was burning because it was worth it. … On a morning in the second year of Chongxi in the Liao Dynasty (1033), when the first wooden beam was joined by mortise and tenon joints, the craftsmen probably never imagined that this hall would travel through ten centuries of spring and autumn and meet us in the chilly spring of 2025. At this moment, it is taking on the northern wind in the most relaxed posture. …… ✨Kaishan Temple is commonly known as Dafo Temple. According to the "Xincheng County Chronicles", Kaishan Temple was built during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, and the main hall was built in the second year of the Chongxi period of the Liao Dynasty (1033). There are only three single buildings left. The Mountain Gate Hall, Heavenly King Hall and Main Hall are arranged in sequence from south to north. There is also a piece of remaining stone carvings in the courtyard. This is all of Kaishan Temple today. During the Cultural Revolution, cultural relics were generally destroyed, but Kaishan Temple was spared because it was used as a granary. It was officially opened after renovation in April 2023, but a sudden flood forced the temple to close. There are still traces of flooding on the gate of the hall. Fortunately, thanks to the unremitting efforts of cultural heritage workers, it has now reopened and is once again showing its unique charm. ✨Kaishan Temple may be the least famous and the most low-key among the eight Liao structures, but when you really approach it, you will be shocked by its hidden grandeur. ✅ Useful information: 1️⃣ The stone tablet in front of the main hall was erected during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, and it records the process of rebuilding Kaishan Temple. 2️⃣The Main Hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eaved hip roof. There are only four pillars in the hall, which provides a wide field of vision. During the construction process, the "column-moving" and "column-reducing" techniques common in Liao and Jin architecture were used. 3️⃣The roof of the main hall adopts the method of large cross arms and large supporting feet. It is not supported by beams. Instead, it slants upward from the inside of the upper horizontal beam, and the upper part is suspended to support the end of the ridge beam. This setting is more ingenious and magical than the usual method. 4️⃣There are two Tang Dynasty Guanyin statues in the hall. One stands behind the Buddha statue in the main hall. You need to go around to the back door of the main hall. Its eight arms are damaged, but the base color is still preserved. Its face is solemn and it is covered with necklaces. The other one was lying quietly in a dark corner nearby. Its face couldn't be seen clearly, and it looked a little pitiful. 5️⃣You can vaguely see faded mural patterns on the arch above the back door of the main hall, and a few blurry words are engraved on the pillar on the left, "Three people on July 19, the first year of Zhishun", the ancients visited here! … When I put my frozen palms on the wooden door of the hall to feel the pulse of the wood grain, the body temperature of modern people resonated with the thousand-year-old wood, and I suddenly understood that architecture is not only a container of space, but also a messenger of time. When I left, I looked back again. The outline of the hall seemed more solemn in the cold light, but the arcs drawn by the flying eaves and brackets were as light as when it was first built. Suddenly I understood that truly great buildings never need a greenhouse to worship them, just like those ancient souls that become clearer in the cold wind. The colder the season, the more they can illuminate the warmth of the civilization passed down from generation to generation. … ❗️Practical information: 🚗Location: Gaobeidian City, Baoding, Hebei Province, about 7km by taxi from Gaobeidian High-speed Railway Station. I took a taxi directly from Zhuozhou, 💰50+ 🕒Open: 9:00-11:30, 14:00-16:30 (closed on Mondays), admission stops at 11:00 noon, and the venue will be cleared at 11:30. Friends who want to come should manage their time well 🎫Tickets: Currently free, no reservation is required, and the staff will ask you to register after entering the museum ❤️There is a seal of the Great Hall on the registration table, which is also a surprise!