Blog Post

Visiting Tiantai An, a Tang Dynasty Relic

We arrived at Tiantai An as the sun was beginning to set, having successfully navigated the narrow, serpentine road high above the valley floor. One of few remaining Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.) temples in Shanxi Province of northwestern China, Tiantai An was constructed when the Tiantai school of Buddhism first began to flourish, later becoming one of the principal schools of Chinese Buddhism. Rediscovered in the twentieth century, the temple is a testament to the tremendous history hidden among the small villages scattered through the remote Taihang mountain range.

This was the sixth ancient temple we visited that day. Brick and concrete homes stretched out into the distance, ascending the sloping contours of the valley walls. Terraced fields lined the surrounding hills, consuming every farmable inch of land in view, and offering flat patches of sun-baked earth for corn, millet, and potatoes to take root. Cracked dirt roads wound through the village, mildly congested with playing children, pushcarts overflowing with produce, and cows aimlessly grazing. Atop the flat roofs of more recently constructed dwellings, drying corn—preparation for an oncoming winter—reflected the glow of a setting sun, blazing yellow and orange in the dimming light.

Curious eyes and youthful laughter followed our every movement around the small temple and its surroundings, evidence of a place rarely visited by outsiders. Village elders paced methodically in our footsteps—watchful eyes over a site that has long been a great source of pride for the community.

Tiantai An’s design reflects the building traditions of the Tang dynasty. Simple wooden bracketing rests atop ancient wooden pillars supporting thick beams and a gently sloping grey tile roof. While additions have been made throughout the temple’s history, the pillars composing the framework of Tiantai An have endured for over a thousand years. Additional pillars now aid the structure, supporting the curving roof. Medallions at the end of the tile-ribbed roof reveal faces of those sacred to the Buddhist faith.

Now on the 2012 World Monuments Watch, Tshingua University nominated the site hoping that further attention to little-known Tiantai An will garner support for a thorough study of the building. Tiantai An has survived for centuries in part due to its remote and secluded location, but recent damage to the temple platform and centuries of slow but steady deterioration of the wooden framework are threats that must be addressed. The local community lacks the financial resources to care for, preserve, and restore the ancient building.