The Guanghua Temple,also known as the South Mountain Guanghua Temple (南山广寺),is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Phoenix (凤凰山),about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Putian City,Fujian Province,People's Republic of China.
A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand,Cambodia,Nepal,China,Japan,Korea,Myanmar,Vietnam,and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function,most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist,and were often located in or near viharas. The pagoda traces its origins to the stupa while its design was developed in ancient Nepal. Chinese pagodas are a traditional part of Chinese architecture. In addition to religious use,since ancient times Chinese pagodas have been praised for the spectacular views they offer,and many classical poems attest to the joy of scaling pagodas.
Chinese architecture is the embodiment of an architectural style that has developed over millennia in China and has influenced architecture throughout East Asia. Since its emergence during the early ancient era,the structural principles of its architecture have remained largely unchanged. The main changes involved diverse decorative details. Starting with the Tang dynasty,Chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan,Korea,and Mongolia in addition to minor influences on the architecture of Southeast and South Asia including the countries of Malaysia,Singapore,Indonesia,Vietnam,Sri Lanka,Thailand,Laos,Cambodia and the Philippines.
The Guoqing Temple is a Buddhist temple on Mount Tiantai,in Taizhou,Zhejiang Province,China. Originally built in 598 CE during the Sui dynasty,and renovated during the reign of the Qing Yongzheng Emperor,the temple is located roughly 220 kilometres (140 mi) from the city of Hangzhou. It was the initial site for the creation of the Tiantai school of Mahāyāna Buddhism,founded by the Chinese Buddhist teacher Zhiyi. The temple covers an area of some 23,000 m2 (250,000 sq ft) and features 600 rooms in a total of 14 different halls,including the Grand Hall of Sakyamuni,the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats and the Hall of Monk Jigong. The exterior of the building features Chinese pagodas such as the Sui Pagoda,the Seven Buddha Pagoda,and the Memorial Pagoda of Monk Yi Xing.
The Liaodi Pagoda of Kaiyuan Monastery,Dingzhou,Hebei Province,China is the tallest existing pre-modern Chinese pagoda and tallest brick pagoda in the world,built in the 11th century during the Song dynasty (960–1279). The pagoda stands at a height of 84 meters (276 ft),resting on a large platform with an octagonal base. Upon completion in 1055,the Liaodi Pagoda surpassed the height of China's previously tallest pagoda still standing,the central pagoda of the Three Pagodas,which stands at 69.13 m (230 ft). The tallest pagoda in pre-modern Chinese history was a 100-meter (330 ft)-tall wooden pagoda tower in Chang'an built in 611 by Emperor Yang of Sui,yet this structure no longer stands. It is considered one of the Four Treasures of Hebei.
The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple of Ying County,Shanxi province,China,is a wooden Chinese pagoda. It is also known as the Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian County. It was constructed in 1056,during the second year of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty and was renovated and expended in 1195 during the sixth year of the Jin Dynasty. The pagoda was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao (Hongji) at the site of his grandmother's family home. The pagoda,which has survived several large earthquakes throughout the centuries,reached a level of such fame within China that it was given the generic nickname of the "Muta".
Foguang Temple is a Buddhist temple located five kilometres from Doucun,Wutai County,Shanxi Province of China. The major hall of the temple is the Great East Hall,built in 857 AD,during the Tang dynasty (618–907). According to architectural records,it is the third earliest preserved timber structure in China. It was rediscovered by the 20th-century architectural historian Liang Sicheng (1901–1972) in 1937,while an older hall at Nanchan Temple was discovered by the same team a year later. The temple also contains another significant hall dating from 1137 called the Manjusri Hall. In addition,the second oldest existing pagoda in China,dating from the 6th century,is located in the temple grounds. Today the temple is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site and is undergoing restoration.
Nanchan Temple is a Buddhist temple located near the town of Doucun on Mount Wutai,Shanxi,China. Nanchan Temple was built in 782 during China's Tang dynasty,and its Great Buddha Hall is currently China's oldest preserved timber building extant,as wooden buildings are often prone to fire and various destruction. Not only is Nanchan Temple an important architectural site,but it also contains an original set of artistically important Tang sculptures dating from the period of its construction. Seventeen sculptures share the hall's interior space with a small stone pagoda.
Huacheng Temple is the oldest and most prominent temple on Mount Jiuhua,Qingyang County,Anhui Province,China. It has a history of more than 1,500 years.
The Dule Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Jizhou District of suburban Tianjin,China. The temple is of historical as well as architectural significance. Its oldest surviving buildings are two timber-frame structures,the front gate and the central hall (pavilion) that houses a colossal clay statue of the Eleven-Headed manifestation of the Bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara). Both structures date back to the Liao dynasty and are among the oldest surviving wooden buildings in China.
Beiyue Temple is a Taoist temple located in Quyang,Hebei Province,China. The temple was used to make sacrifices to Mount Heng by the emperors of the Song dynasty while the mountain was occupied by the Liao dynasty. The Dening Hall of the temple is the largest,earliest and one of the most important extant wooden buildings built in the Yuan dynasty. The temple also contains three gates,an octagonal pavilion and many ancient stelae.
Shanhua Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Datong,Shanxi Province,China. The temple was first founded during the early 8th century of the Tang dynasty,but its earliest surviving building dates from the 11th century. The temple was heavily repaired over the years,and today three original halls and two recently rebuilt pavilions survive. The largest,and earliest hall,dating from the 11th-century Liao dynasty,is the Mahavira Hall and is one of the largest of its kind in China. Also historically significant are the Main Gate and Sansheng Hall,both dating from 12th century during the Jin dynasty.
The Five Dragons Temple is a Taoist temple in Ruicheng,Shanxi Province,China. It is also known as King Guangren's Temple (广仁王庙).
Geyuan Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Laiyuan,Hebei Province,China. The temple consists of three main buildings and other auxiliary structures. The main hall of the temple,the Wenshu Hall dates from 966 CE.
Fengguo Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Yixian,Liaoning Province,China. The temple was first founded in 1020 during the Liao dynasty (916–1125),and grew quite large during the subsequent centuries. Today,only two halls,two gates,and a decorative arch survive. The most important surviving building is the Mahavira Hall,a very large hall that dates from 1020. The hall is notable for containing seven large Buddha sculptures,and other smaller sculptures,all dating from the Liao Dynasty. It has had several names over the centuries,including the "Xianxi Temple","Seven Buddhas Temple" and "Dafengguo Temple".
Nanjing was the name for modern Beijing during the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China,when the city was the empire's southern capital. To distinguish Nanjing,which literally means "Southern Capital" in Chinese,from modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province and Beijing Damingfu,the name for modern Daming County in Hebei Province during the Northern Song dynasty,Chinese historians sometimes refer to Beijing during the Liao dynasty as Liao Nanjing. The Liao dynasty acquired the city,then known as Youzhou,in the cession of the Sixteen Prefectures in 938 by the Later Jin dynasty,one of the five short-lived dynasties that ruled northern China following the end of the Tang dynasty. The city was officially renamed Nanjing,Youdu Fu (南京幽都府). In 1012,the city was renamed Nanjing,Xijin Fu (南京析津府). The city was also colloquially referred to at the time as Yanjing. In 1122,the city was captured by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty and was officially renamed Yanjing,ending the use of Nanjing for what is today modern Beijing.
Yin Jiao,better known by his courtesy name Kaishan,titled Duke Jie of Xun,was a general and officer in Sui and Tang dynasties of China. Because of his remarkable contributions during the unification wars of Tang dynasty,Yin Kaishan was listed as one of 24 founding officials of the Tang dynasty honored on the Lingyan Pavilion.
Lingshan Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Chaoyang District,Shantou,Guangdong,China.
Shanxi architecture,or Shansi architecture,or Jin architecture,refers to the architectural style of the Shanxi province in northern China. Shanxi has preserved numerous ancient architectures scattered throughout the province. All of the four remaining wooden structures preserved from Tang dynasty in China are found in Shanxi. The old buildings of Pingyao ancient city and numerous family compounds of Shanxi merchants in the Ming and Qing dynasties are representative of the architecture styles of vernacular architecture in North China. Religious temples in Mount Wutai and Yungang Grottoes in Datong exemplify the sacred buddhist architecture in China.
