1,600-yr-old Chinese temple to reopen after 2-yr restoration

This photo taken on Nov. 13, 2023 shows Dayun Temple in Wuwei, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xixia Museum of Wuwei/Handout via Xinhua)

LANZHOU, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Buddhist temple dating back more than 1,600 years in northwest China's Gansu Province will reopen to the public on Monday after it had been closed for two years for restoration.

Originally built in 363, Dayun Temple is located in the city of Wuwei on the ancient Silk Road route.

The latest restoration project started in November 2021 as the building complex had developed broken floors, cracked tiles and other damage, said Ren Yun, deputy curator of the Xixia Museum of Wuwei, which administers the temple.

With a total cost of nearly 16 million yuan (2.23 million U.S. dollars), the project included damage repair and maintenance of six individual buildings, including the bell tower and the Chunqiu Pavilion. Water drainage, power and gas facilities were also renovated.

After the reopening, visitors will be able to enjoy exhibitions on the temple's history, as well as wooden screens and wooden carriages.

"Dayun Temple is an important cultural heritage that witnessed Buddhism spreading eastward along the ancient Silk Road, as well as cultural exchange between China and the West," Ren said.

Visitors not only have a chance to glimpse into ancient Buddhist culture and watch the bronze bell and bell tower from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) but also feel the profound culture of Wuwei through the 23 stone inscriptions and more than 10 plaques preserved in the temple, he added.