Visitor Guide
Opening hours:9 am-5 pm
Address: Wangqu village, Shihui township, 25 kilometers north of Pingshun county, Changzhi
Tel: 0355-8925293
Overview
The founding date of Tiantai Nunnery is unknown. Today, only the Main Hall and a Tang Dynasty (618-907) stele remain. According to ink inscriptions, the Main Hall was constructed between 929 and 933 (between the fourth year of Tiancheng reign and the fourth year of Changxing reign during the Later Tang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960)). Renovations were carried out during the Jurchen Jin (1115-1234), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
The central bay of the Main Hall is notably wider, while the side bays are only half its width —an extremely rare layout found among the existing early Chinese buildings. The bracket sets above the columns are simple, featuring a jutting arm projecting from the ludou (the principal bearing block in the bracket set), with a horizontal intermediary timber member on the cantilever arm supporting the eaves-raising purlin, and without a lead bracket arm or decorative head.
Although built during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960), Tiantai Nunnery retains the overall architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, making it a valuable surviving example of early Chinese timber-frame construction. It provides crucial material evidence for the study of Tang architectural art and the transmission of religion, and therefore possesses significant academic value.