Putuoshan Puji Temple

CHINA, Zhejiang, Zhoushan

Puji means Universal Liberation. It is also known as the Front Temple and is one of the Three Major Temples on Putuoshan. It was built in 1080 during the Northern Song dynasty. The temple was destroyed in 1386 during the Ming dynasty, but was reconstructed in 1488 and again in 1689. It became the largest temple of Putuoshan after Emperor Yongzheng (reigned 1722–1735) ordered its expansion in 1731. It was listed as a key Buddhist temple in the Han region of China in 1983.
The temple was built to integrate with the environment and occupies 1.4 ha. Along the central axis there are the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Perfect Understanding Hall, sutra repository, abbot’s quarters, and Vulture Peak Building. Along the sides are the bell and drum towers, Sangharama Hall, Arhat Hall, meditation hall, Ksitigharba Hall, and Universal Gateway Hall. The Haiyin Pond and the Prabhutaratna Pagoda are located in front of the temple.
The seven-by-six bay Perfect Understanding Hall is the main hall and can hold 1,000 people. It has a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The hall houses a 6.5 m high seated statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Along the sides there are statues of the remaining Thirty-Two Manifestations of Avalokitesvara. Haiyin Pond was constructed during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and is surrounded by stone balustrades. In the center of the pond there are three stone bridges and an octagonal pavilion. The bridge to the north of the pavilion connects to the main temple gate, while the bridge to the south connects to the Imperial Stele Pavilion. The stele describes the history of Putuoshan and Puji Temple written by Emperor Yongzheng and is made of white marble. The Prabhutaratna Pagoda, known as one of the Three Treasures of Putuoshan, was constructed in 1334 during the Yuan dynasty, and is located to the side of Haiyin Pond.