Samye Monastery Central Hall

CHINA, Tibet, Lhoka

The east-facing hall consists of two sections: the single-story assembly hall at the front and the shrine at the rear with three stories above it. The first story is built in the traditional Tibetan style with wooden columns, closely-placed beams, and thick stone walls. There are eaves between the second and third stories. The third story is surrounded by a balcony. The roof has a complex structure: in the center there is a double-eave square pavilion with a pyramidal roof topped by a spire, while there is a smaller single-eave square pavilion with a pyramidal roof at each corner. The layout is similar to the diamond throne pagoda style of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya in India.
According to the Clear Mirror: A Royal Geneaology, the first story of the central hall is built in Tibetan style, the second is in Chinese style while the third is in Indian style. Thus, the Samye Monastery is also commonly known as the Temple of Three Styles. The same reference also stated that the first story of the central hall is built with stone; the second with brick, while the third with wood. All construction is carried out in accordance with the Vinaya Pitaka, while the murals and the sculptures correspondingly to the Sutra Pitaka and the Vajrayana dharanis respectively. The temple greatly influenced later Tibetan Buddhist architectural styles in Tibet, Mongolia, and China.