Foguang Monastery, Shanxi, China (857)

Artist/Designer:

Project Location: China

Figure 1: The overall view of Foguang Monastery ( Source | Photographer: Zhangzhugang )

Figure 2: Main Buddha Hall ( Source )

Figure 3: Interior of Main Buddha Hall ( Source )

Figure 4: The Zushi Pagoda ( Source )

Figure 5: Section A of Main Buddha Hall ( Source )

Figure 6: Section B of Main Buddha Hall ( Source )

Figure 7: Plan of Foguang Monastery ( Source )

Figure 8: The bracketing cluster of Main Buddha Hall ( Source )

Figure 9: Diagram of bracketing cluster ( Source )

Figure 10: The ceiling detail and marks ( Source )

Style/Period(s):
Classical, Traditional

Primary Material(s):
Stone, Wood, Brick, Tile

Function(s):
Religious Building

Related Website(s):

Building a Sacred Mountain : The Buddhist Architecture of China's Mount Wutai | Accessed : November 16, 2023

wikipedia listing | Accessed : November 16, 2023

Significant Date(s):
9th Century

Additional Information:
Foguang Temple (Chinese: 佛光寺) 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). 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.The temple also contains another significant hall dating from 1137 called the Manjusri Hall. In addition, the second oldest existing pagoda in China (after the Songyue Pagoda), 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.

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