Youshun Temple

CHINA, Liaoning, Chaoyang

This is one of the better preserved Tibetan Buddhist temples in northeastern China. According to a stele inscription, the lama Chuo Erji requested that Emperor Kangxi (reigned 1661–1722) build a temple. Its construction took place between 1699 and 1707 during the Qing dynasty. The emperor bestowed the name Youshun Temple, as well as a sandalwood Buddha statue. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
Facing south and covering an area of 1.7 ha, the existing buildings occupy an area of 3,800 sq m. The temple complex consists of five courtyards aligned from south to north. Along the central axis the principal buildings are the gateway, the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, sutra repository, Great Hero Hall, Change Clothing Hall, and the Seven Bay Hall. The gateway is three bays wide. The roof is covered in gray tiles with double eaves. It has a stone base platform and wooden columns. It was reconstructed in 1989. The five-bay wide main temple gate has a hip-and-gable roof.
The Heavenly King Hall has a hip roof. There is a stone archway at its center with a round window on each side. The seven-by-four bay, two-story sutra repository has a hip-and-gable roof. The five-by-five bay Great Hero Hall is the main building of the temple. It has a hip-and-gable roof and on each end of the main ridge there is a dragon mouth decoration, while in the center there is a small Tibetan-style gilt bronze gourd-shaped stupa. The Seven Bay Hall has a flushed gable roof and is also called the imperial lodge because Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795) of the Qing dynasty stayed there during his inspection trip to the north.