[2025 Hunyuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Yuanjiao Sizhuanta (Updated Feb)

Yuanjue Temple is located within the Hunyuan Ancient City. The temple itself is not large, but it houses a famous ancient brick pagoda, a structure from the Jin Dynasty. The pagoda's most distinctive feature is the phoenix perched on the lotus-shaped iron pinnacle. This phoenix can rotate with the wind, serving as an ancient weather vane. It is said to be the only remaining ancient phoenix-shaped weather vane in China, also known as a "wind-waiting bird." It is truly exquisite. The brick pagoda is adorned with numerous, beautifully carved reliefs, depicting vivid imagery. While there are no Buddhist statues inside the temple, there are some newer murals. The main attraction is undoubtedly the brick pagoda. There is no entrance fee.

There are several temples named 'Yuanjue Temple' across the country, and it seems there are some in Japan as well. The one in Hunyuan County may not be as famous as the others, but it has a unique feature worth seeing: a nine-story brick pagoda that has stood for a thousand years without collapsing. Interestingly, atop this pagoda is an iron 'Soaring Phoenix' that rotates and moves with the wind. It is said that locals can tell the direction of the wind by observing it. This is perhaps an example of ancient wisdom in meteorology. There is no entrance fee here, and a tour around the temple takes about ten minutes. On weekend nights, the temple is illuminated, making it look very beautiful from a distance.

· 🤎 Location: Located in the ancient city of Hunyuan County, Datong City, right next to Yong'an Zen Temple. Easy to find with navigation. Yuanjue Temple Brick Pagoda · 🤎 Ticket: Free. Yuanjue Temple Pagoda is the seventh batch of national protection, not a commercial scenic area, there is no formal scenic gate, and the gate is not open all year round, you can push open the small door next to it to go in. The temple keeper grandma will ask you for ten yuan, which can be paid by scanning a code or in cash, and if you really don't want to give, you can choose not to. · 🤎 Detailed introduction: The brick pagoda is not majestic, but very durable to look at, built in the third year of Jinchenglong (1158), every detail is finely crafted by artisans, the base of the pagoda has two levels of Sumeru seats, the middle brick carving is very exquisite, with strongmen, flowers, lions, and musicians, from the second to the eighth floor is solid, not climbable, the top of the pagoda spire is a well-preserved bird-shaped weathervane that rotates with the wind, the only existing example. The iron phoenix above the pagoda spire can rotate with the wind, serving as a wind vane and also as a lightning rod. When we went, the pagoda door was not open, not sure if it can be opened usually, the temple keeper spoke with a heavy accent, did not understand. · 🤎 Visiting time: Set aside about half an hour, first walk around the pagoda three times to pray for peace, then take a close look and appreciate. · 🤎 Cars can be parked at the entrance of Yong'an Zen Temple, a three-minute walk away, after eating try the Hunyuan specialty Hunyuan Liangfen.

Hunyuan Yuanjue Temple is located in the north alley of Shiqiao, Hunyuan County, with a width of 49.25 meters from east to west, a length of 65.95 meters from north to south, and covers an area of 3,248 square meters. Inside the temple, there is a brick pagoda of Shakyamuni's sarira, which is an octagonal nine-tiered dense eave style. The base of the pagoda is a brick-built Sumeru throne, the first layer of the pagoda body is about 4 meters high, and each layer above it is proportionally reduced, with harmonious proportions, graceful and lively. The ninth layer suddenly rises, echoing the first layer from afar, and on top of it, the spire is stacked sharply, with an iron phoenix bird standing on top to indicate the wind direction. According to the 'Hunyuan Prefecture Annals' of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the brick pagoda was built in the third year of the Jizhonglong period of the Jin Dynasty (1158), and was repaired multiple times in the fifth year of the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty (1469), the fourth year of the Wanli period (1576), and the ninth year of the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty (1859). According to documents from the website of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, in May 2013, the pagoda of Yuanjue Temple in Hunyuan was announced by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The pagoda of Yuanjue Temple is a landmark building of the ancient city of Hunyuan, and the iron phoenix bird on the pagoda is the only remaining ancient object of 'xiangfeng' (wind direction indicator), which has become a unique item in the country. Because the locals did not know what 'xiangfeng' was, it was mispronounced as 'xiangfeng' (flying phoenix). Yuanjue Temple, commonly known as 'The Small Temple.' According to the 'Hunyuan Prefecture Annals' of the Qianlong era, Yuanjue Temple was built in the third year of the Zhenglong period of the Jin Dynasty (1158) by the monk Xuanzhen. However, judging from some inscriptions from the early Tianhui period of the Jin Dynasty (1123-1135) left on the pagoda, its history should be even longer. In addition, according to the famous archaeologist and distinguished educator in archaeology, Mr. Su Bai, Yuanjue Temple was already in existence, and it might have been abandoned and later rebuilt or extensively repaired by the monk Xuanzhen. As is well known, after the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, although the Jin royal family inherited the Liao tradition of venerating Buddhism, there were not many Buddhist pagodas built during the Jin Dynasty, let alone brick pagodas! That's really rare. Today, the brick pagoda in Yuanjue Temple is still well preserved and stands tall, for which we must thank the providence. In misfortune, is there also a one in a million chance of luck? Therefore, its value of existence is even more precious, oh!