Ci'en Si
Situated in the Shenhe District of Shenyang, the Ci'en Si (Ci'en Temple) is a relatively old Buddhist establishment in northeast China. It is said to have been first built in the Tang Dynasty, rebuilt in 1628 (1st year of the Chongzhen reign) of the Ming Dynasty, and repaired and expanded on a large scale in 1644 (1st year of the Shunzhi reign) of the Qing Dynasty. Then the temple fell into disrepair and was eventually deserted. It took eight years beginning from 1912 (the founding year of the Republic) to rebuild the Ci’en Temple and restore it to a size of 12,693 square meters. Among its 135 bays of buildings with a total floor space of 2,995 square meters are the gate hall, the bell and drum towers, the Hall of Deva-kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Bhiksu Altar, the Incantation Hall, and the Meditation Hall, as well as dormitories and halls for miscellaneous purposes.
The temple houses a 6,500-volume version of Tripitaka, as well as a host of cultural relics dating back to the years before the influence of the Manchus crossed the Shanhai Pass and spread into north China. The Ci’en Temple today is the headquarters of the Shenyang Municipal Buddhist Association.
