No visit to Tianjin is complete without visiting the Dule Temple, which boasts of more than a millennium of history and is regarded as one of the oldest buildings in China. Tianjin is rife with such historical and culturally significant elements, which can be best enjoyed from a luxury serviced apartment Tianjin has to offer its corporate and leisure visitors. Perhaps consider checking into the Somerset Olympic Tower Tianjin. Its central location and attentive hospitality make it a fineserviced residence in Tianjin. Dule Temple purportedly gets its name from the fact that An Lushan, who was a military governor during the Tang Dynasty, once stood in front of the temple and declared his intent to rebel against the Tang Dynasty. The governor had resonated with the two characters “du” and “le”, which means “solitary joy”. The temple is most famous for its Quan Yin Pavilion, for the resplendent statue of the goddess of infinite compassion enshrined within. The statue stands at a height of sixteen metres and occupies the first tier of the two-storeyed pavilion, while a ten-sided Buddha statue occupies the second tier. Thus, the Quan Yin monument is commonly referred to as the “11-sided Bodhisattva”. Gracing the walls around the statues are paintings of 16 arahats, as well as a selection of paintings depicting a three-headed, six-armed king of the Ming Dynasty, painted by artists from the same era. The pavilion housing the statues stands at a height of 23 metres and it is regarded to be the oldest example of two-storeyed pavilions in the country. Dule Temple exemplifies ancient wooden Chinese architecture and has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. Other aspects of the temple complex of historical worth are the Entrance Gate, which boasts a single-eaved roof that is believed to be the earliest example of the kind. Two statues of particular grandeur flank both sides of the gate, commonly referred to as “heng” and “ha”. The Dule Temple is truly a unique landmark that must be visited when your travels bring you to Tianjin.
