Ci'en Temple (Liaoning)

Ci'en Temple is a Buddhist temple in Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning. It serves as the headquarters of the Shenyang Buddhist Association. The complex faces west and includes a Shanmen, Four Heavenly Kings Hall, Mahavira Hall, Bhikkhu Hall, and Buddhist Texts Library, with Bell and Drum Towers flanking the Four Heavenly Kings Hall.

Don't miss

• The Mahavira Hall, the main hall, with a central statue of Sakyamuni flanked by Amitabha and Bhaisajyaguru, plus statues of Guanyin, Ksitigarbha, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra.
• The Hall of Four Heavenly Kings, housing statues of Maitreya, Skanda, and the Four Heavenly Kings.
• The Hall of Sangharama Palace, located north of the Mahavira Hall, containing a statue of Lord Guan.
• The Bell Tower and Drum Tower positioned on either side of the Four Heavenly Kings Hall.
• The Buddhist Texts Library, part of the temple's orderly layout.

Getting there

Know before you go

• The temple is located in Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning.
• It covers an area of 2,995 square meters with 135 buildings and halls.

A bit of history

First built in 1628 during the late Ming dynasty, the temple added its Main Hall, Hall of Skanda, and corridors in 1644 at the dawn of the Qing dynasty. It later fell into disrepair. Abbot Buzhen rebuilt it from 1912 to 1930, a project that took 18 years. The temple was designated a municipal-level key protection unit in 1985 and a provincial-level key cultural heritage in 1988. In 1983, it was named a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area by the State Council of China.