Kaiyuan Temple

CHINA, Hebei, Shijiazhuang

The temple was founded in 540 during the Eastern Wei dynasty, and was named Kaiyuan during the rule of Emperor Xuanzong (reigned 712–756). Repairs and renovations were undertaken in 898 during the Tang dynasty, as well as during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. Due to long-term neglect, most of the buildings no longer exist, except for the bell tower and Sumeru Pagoda. They were listed as National Cultural Heritage Sites in 1988 and 2006.
The bell tower was built in 898 during the Tang dynasty, and is the only example from that period. It was repaired in 1988. The three-by-three bay, two-story structure is made of brick and timber and is 14 m high. It has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof together with lower eaves. There is a large doorway in the center with smaller doors on either side. The upper story is surrounded by balustrades. There is a wide doorway with vertical bar windows on either side. The beams, pillars and bracket sets on the lower story are still in the style of the Tang dynasty (618–907), while the framework for the upper level was replaced during the late Qing dynasty. Inside the building there is a Tang dynasty bronze bell hanging from the ceiling. It is 2.9 m high and has a diameter of 1.5 m.
The Sumeru Pagoda was built during the Tang dynasty and was one of the four pagodas of Zhengding. The nine-story, square, brick pagoda is 39.5 m high. The first story is noticeably higher than the remaining stories. It has two carved warriors at each corner. There is an arched doorway on the southern side. Each story has eaves in the form of corbeling. The interior is hollow and there are small rectangular windows on each story but there are no stairs. Most of the spire is made from brick including the base, the upright lotus, and the inverted bowl. The finial is made of metal and at the top there is a jewel.