The Great East Hall of Foguang Temple was built in 857 AD
The 11th year during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dynasty
Currently among the buildings from the Tang Dynasty
Foguang Temple has the biggest size
And is the only one with the Diantang structure
Mr. Liang Sicheng then considered it as the “No.1 National Treasure of China”
Japanese started a research on Chinese ancient buildings
Around 1900
And mentioned that
Probably there was no ancient building from Tang dynasty or an earlier time in China
In the afternoon of June, 26th, 1937
Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin
Discovered the 1st timber structure in China at that time
In Wutaishan(Mount Wutai), Shanxi
Their confirmation that the Great East Hall was constructed in Tang Dynasty
Denied the arguments of Japanese scholars
Foguang Temple is out of the 5 mountains of Wutaishan
It’s not inside the region
It covers an area of around 34,200 m2
With 3 courtyards
It’s backed by mountains and the height climbs up as people walk in
Entering from the gate
You’re in the first courtyard
On one side is the Hall of Manjusri
It has an overhanging gable roof
With two slopes
The left and right eaves extend out of the gable
The hall is very big
It has 7 jians(in ancient China, the space formed by surrounding 4 columns was called jian)
The brackets between the two columns form angles of 45° with the crossbeam
Which is a typical structure of the buildings from Jin dynasty
It’s a Dhvaja from the 4th year during the reign of Emperor Li Xuan of Tang Dynasty
Lin Huiyin climbed up to measure it
In cheongsam
The second courtyard is located on a higher platform
Archeologists found some huge column bases
It’s inferred
That together with part of the 1st courtyard
They constitute the Maitreya Hall constructed by Monk Faxing on historical records
As you go into the third courtyard
There’s something like an arch
Inside there’re 37 steps, very steep
Walk up step by step
The Great East Hall is on the highest step
It’s oriented in an east-west position
With a Diantang structure
It has 7 jians
It’s 34mx17.66m big
The brackets are very big
It’s about 3.98 m long from the top of the corner column
To the end of the eave
The extending ang is very sharp
And looks magnificent
The hall was painted into vermilliom
And the pattern of Qizhubabai appeared at the back
Which was very popular in Tang Dynasty
The column base
Is like an overturned basin
It’s called Overturned Lotus
In the Tang dynasty, people liked building a wall
Which was half-human in height
With a window above
The window was called Kanchuang(threshold window)
And the wall below was calld Kanqiang(threshold wall)
Inside the Great East Hall there’s a collection of cultural heritage from the Tang dynasty
Firstly murals
On the Gongyan wall
There’re murals of preaching painted by people in the Tang dynasty
It covers an area of over 60 m2
Then the painted sculptures from Tang-dynasty temples
Over 30 Buddhist sculptures line up on the altar
So Mr.Liang was really shocked to see them
He thought they were like a forest of Buddhist sculptures
Some are about 4-meter high
When Lin Huiyin visited here
She went onto the altar
And took a picture with one maid sculpture
Before she came
The local folks thought the maid sculpture was based on Empress Wu Zetian
But Lin Huiyin found an inscription
On the beam frame of the hall
Which said “presented to female disciple Ning Gongyu by the temple abbot”
So she inferred that
This maid sculpture was probably based on the sponsor Ning Gongyu
The stone dhvaja is at the center of the ground in front of the Great East Hall
There’s a clear record behind the dhvaja
Indicating the 11th year during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty
857 AD(the year of construction)
Was at the late Tang
At the entrance of the Great East Hall there’re two imposing Chinese pines
They have been there with the hall for over a thousand years
The Great East Hall is a Tang-dynasty building
While Foguang Temple was built during the Northern Wei dynasty
At one side of the Great East Hall
There’s the Zushi Pogoda from the Northern Wei dynasty
Believers always think
They can see the light of Buddha there
This local climate is unique
The place is surrounded by fog and mist all year around
When light comes through clouds, it shines brightly
It is said the emperor of Northern Wei
Witnessed such strange phenomenon
And named the temple the “Real Buddhist Light Temple”
Now there is no abbot in Foguang Temple
It has become a sacred place of conserving Chinese historical heritage
The Great East Hall ranks the top as the representative Tang building for Chinese people
And it’s worthy of the title of “No.1 national treasure”