Shengyou Temple

CHINA, Xinjiang, Zhaosu

This temple is the only Tibetan Buddhist temple belonging to the Mongolian Dzungar tribe in Xinjiang. It was built by the Dzungar between 1894 and 1898 during the Qing dynasty. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2001.
The north-facing temple occupies approximately 1.2 ha with the buildings taking up 2,000 sq m. Along the central axis there are the screen wall, main temple gate, front hall, main hall and the rear hall. Along the sides there are auxiliary halls, the bell and drum tower, and a pavilion. The main temple gate has an overhanging gable roof, while the pavilion has an octagonal pyramidal roof.
The two-story main hall is a brick and wood structure with a height of 17.5 m. The hall has a hip-and-gable roof with long cantilevers supporting the eaves. It is seven bays wide on the first story and only five bays wide on the second. The first story of the hall is encircled by a veranda, while there is a balcony on the second story. Inside the hall the roof structure is exposed. There are delicately embroidered curtains and banners suspended within the hall. The murals are painted in characteristic Tibetan Buddhist style. The auxiliary halls to the east and west are constructed with flush gable roofs. The compound is enclosed by brick walls. It is rare for a Tibetan Buddhist temple to be built in a Chinese architectural style in Xinjiang.