707 Temples of China
One Iconic Temple or Historic Site in each of the 707 Designated Cities of China
China’s Temples & Historic Sites: Living Chronicles of Civilization
(A companion to China in 5’s city deep dives)
China’s Oldest Temple, Buddha Hall, White Horse Temple | China Daily
Every city has its modern marvels, glass towers, neon-lit streets, sprawling metros. But to touch the soul of a place, step into its temples and historic sites: the silent witnesses to dynasties, devotion, and daily life across millennia.
As part of our mission to explore all 707 designated Chinese cities, this running feature will spotlight one extraordinary sacred or historical site per city; each chosen to reveal layers of faith, folklore, and forgotten stories.
Updated every Tuesday, these snapshots will form a living atlas of China’s spiritual and architectural heritage, from imperial era grandeur to tucked away shrines where incense smoke still carries the whispers of centuries.
Our Temple 1 is Lord Bao Temple (包公祠) in Hefei, where the legacy of a Song Dynasty Judge blurs the line between history and legend. Behind its Ming era halls and tranquil gardens, this site guards tales of justice that still resonate in modern China and a moral compass etched into Anhui’s identity.
What to Expect in This Series?
707 Cities. 707 Sacred Sites. No postcard clichés, just the temples, shrines, and sanctuaries that shape local identity.
Beyond Incense Smoke: We’ll decode why each site endures, politically (how Ming era plaques legitimized power), socially (where grandmothers still pray for exam success), or technologically (like AI monks reviving ancient rituals).
Strict Pilgrimage Route: Following China’s official city order (Hefei → Xiong’an → Wanzhou...), no cherry picking. Every Tuesday, a new sacred space.
Season 1 Schedule of 34 Cities HERE: Bookmark this.
Pagoda 2 Xiong’an
Pagoda | Xiong’an City
This is a magnificent multi-tiered pagoda nestled within a beautifully landscaped park in Xiong’an. It has since become one of the landmarks of the city.
Pagoda in Yulong Park | China Daily
Why Xiong’an’s Pagoda Isn’t a Temple (But Matters More
You might wonder why this series, devoted to China’s ancient temples, includes a brand-new pagoda in Xiong’an. Here’s the truth:
Xiong’an has no 1,000 year old shrines. The old villages, the drowned temples, the erased lineage halls, they were sacrificed to build China’s city of the future from scratch.
Yuerong Park Pagoda | Beijing Review
But this pagoda, rising from manicured wetlands, isn’t just decoration. It’s a consolation prize for collective memory, a place where:
Displaced locals trace characters on its railings, names of flooded hometowns.
Tech workers meditate at lunch, scrolling Buddhist apps beside QR-code donation boxes.
The state broadcasts harmony via drone shots of its tiered eaves mirroring skyscrapers.
It’s not history. It’s prophecy in wood and tile, a temple for a civilization learning to mourn and march forward at once.
The Pagoda’s Purposeful Design
This multi tiered pagoda was thoughtfully integrated into Xiong’an’s master plan as a cultural anchor, blending tradition with innovation. Constructed by teams of architects and heritage experts under the Xiong’an New Area Administrative Committee, its design draws inspiration from classic Tang and Song dynasty aesthetics, employing modern engineering to achieve timeless elegance. Unlike ancient temples, it serves not as a religious site but as a symbol of harmony, where China’s architectural legacy meets its visionary future. The surrounding park, with its AI maintained gardens and eco friendly infrastructure, reflects Xiong’an’s commitment to sustainable development rooted in cultural pride.
Yuerong Park View | China Daily
Plan Your Visit
📍 Xiong'an Cultural Park, Central District
🚗 45-min drive from Beijing or 30 min high speed rail to Xiong'an Station
⏳ Best visited at dusk when LED lighting illuminates the pagoda's traditional architecture
📱 Scan QR codes throughout the park to learn about Xiong'an's development story
Temple 1/707. Lord Bao Temple
Hefei • Read Hefei Article: Here
📍 Bao Park, Baohe District, Hefei
📅 Built during Ming Dynasty (1465–1487) and later renovated in the Qing Dynasty
Lord Bao Temple at Night | Anhui Travel
Lord Bao Temple (包公祠, Bāo Gōng Cí) stands as Hefei's enduring tribute to Bao Zheng (999-1062), the Northern Song Dynasty official whose uncompromising integrity earned him the name Iron Faced Judge. What began as a Ming era memorial has evolved into a dynamic encounter between Chinese ethical traditions and cutting edge exhibition design.
Lord Bao Judgement | Anhui Travel
The temple complex now houses China's only dedicated exhibition of Bao Zheng's petitions, where ancient concepts of justice are revitalized through naked eye 3D projections, AI powered avatars, and augmented reality installations that transform 11th-century court cases into immersive experiences.
Lord Bao Judgements | Hefei City
The traditional architecture remains spiritually potent, visitors still burn incense before the main hall's statue of Lord Bao, its dark lacquer finish reflecting centuries of veneration.
Lord BAO Statue | Look at the endless Sea
Nearby, the Lianquan Pavilion (Pavilion of Honest Spring) continues its quiet vigil, though its waters now interact with AR displays that bring classical maxims to life. This thoughtful modernization extends to the Ancestral Hall, where touchscreens allow deep dives into historical documents that once existed only behind glass.
Lord Bao Festival (held 1st week of October) | Anhui Travel
Surrounded by the serene Bao Gong Park, the temple achieves a remarkable balance: digital innovations amplify rather than overwhelm the site's contemplative nature. Students analyze holographic recreations of famous trials in one courtyard, while elders practice tai chi in the next, creating a living dialogue between past and present. The upgrades have transformed the temple into more than a monument, it's now a working laboratory of Chinese ethical philosophy, where Bao Zheng's legacy is not merely preserved, but actively applied.
Bao Tmple and Park | Anhui Travel & Hefei City
Plan Your Visit
📍 Baohe District, Hefei
🚇 Metro Line 1 to Baohe Sports Center
⏳ Best at sunrise, watch fog cling to the temple’s curved eaves.
🛕 Did this temple move you? Motivate us to keep going…