Shuanglin Temple

Shuanglin Temple stands in the countryside of Qiaotou village, six or seven kilometres southwest of the ancient city of Pingyao. It was founded in 571, in the second year of the Wuping period of the Northern Qi dynasty, under the original name of Zongdu, and took the name Shuanglin during the Northern Song. With Zhenguo Temple and the walled city it forms one of the three components of the World Heritage Site inscribed in 1997. Its ten halls stand within three courtyards, and they hold the coloured clay sculptures for which the temple is known: 2,052 are reported, of which 1,650 are said to remain.