Zhusheng Temple

CHINA, Hunan, Hengyang

Zhusheng means Prayers for the Emperor. It is one of the Five Major Temples in Nanyue, Hengyang, and is the largest and oldest temple in that area. This is the place where Yu the Great (reign years unknown) of the Xia dynasty (circa 2070–1600 BCE) built a shrine in memory of Emperor Shun (reigned circa 2233–2184 BCE). The temple was built between 742 and 756 during the Tang dynasty. It was listed as a key Buddhist temple in the Han region of China in 1983.
The temple faces south and consists of four courtyards. The principal structures along the central axis are a screen wall, the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Hero Hall, lecture hall, and the abbot’s quarters. On the east side there are the Medicine Buddha Hall and Patriarch Hall, while on the west side there are the meditation hall and Arhat Hall. The three-bay wide main temple gate has a roof covered with yellow glazed tiles, while the rest of the gate is decorated with large friezes depicting tales, landscapes, mythological creatures, exotic flowers, and plants. The five-bay wide Heavenly King Hall is also called Vajra Hall. It has a single-eave overhanging gable roof. The entire hall is supported by 14 stone columns. It is different from others in that it houses Sangharama Bodhisattva, instead of Maitreya Bodhisattva. The Great Hero Hall contains three golden statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, the Medicine Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha.
The temple houses important historical artifacts such as the Stele of Master Prajna and the Stele of Master Maitreya, which were compiled by Liu Zongyuan during the Tang dynasty (618–907). Engravings of the Five Hundred Arhats can be found on the side walls of the Arhat Hall. They were created by Monk Xinyue during the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911) according to the rubbing of the Five Hundred Arhats at Tianning Temple. At present only 156 Arhats remain along the walls.