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Located 18km north of Shijiazhuang, Zhengding Town was once a thriving religious center that stretches back beyond the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). The area was host to numerous emperors in its prime, who visited the town to prove their imperial piety.
Today, the oldest and most impressive of the Buddhist monuments left is the Longxing Monastery (Longxing si), towards the eastern outskirts. First built in 586 AD, the Longxing Monastery is a fairly large temple that is now not in use. Upon the monastery's central axis lie the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang dian), the Hall of Manicheanism (Moni dian), the Altar (Jie tan) and the Temple of Great Mercy (Cien si). Within this temple stands the Monastery's most impressive statue, a 21 meter high bronze statue of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy, with many arms outstretched.
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