The Temple of Solitary Joy (Dule si) is located outside Jixian County to the north of Tianjin city, three hours away by bus. The temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and renovated in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125 AD). Recent renovations have also been made. The temple is a nice day’s diversion which can be combined with a trip to the Huangya Pass
or Mount Pan for an overnight stay; both of these are located close or in Jixian city.
Inside the grand (23 meters high) Guanyin Hall is a 16-meter-high statue of Guanyin, the largest existing terracotta figure in China. The statue stands in the center of the hall, towering upward through the second and third stories until almost reaching the octagonal ceiling. In order to represent Guanyin’s mighty powers, ten small Guanyin heads were added to the sculpture, so that this statue is also known as the Eleven-Faced Guanyin. The Guanyin and other clay sculptures in the temple were carved in the Liao dynasty, about
1000 years ago when Chinese Buddhism reached its peak.
Besides the clay sculptures, the three-storey Guanyin Hall is a wonder, it is the oldest existing wooden pavilion of its kind in China. The fresco in the temple which is 45m by 3m is also a wonderful piece of art. The temple also houses a Buddha from the Liao Dynasty and various murals from the Ming Dynasty.
How to get there: Buses leave from Tianjin’s northeastern bus station, as do trains, for Jixian city.
Opening hours : 9am to 5pm RMB20
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