Zhengxu Temple

CHINA, Yunnan, Wuding

Zhengxu stands for Right Continuation. The temple is located on Shizishan (Lion Mountain). According to a stele about the temple, the monk Chaozong started to build the temple in 1311 during the Yuan dynasty. Between 1315 and 1320, the Indian monk Dhyanabhadra continued the construction and started to propagate the Chan Buddhist teachings. The temple was expanded during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). It is said that Emperor Jianwen (reigned 1398–1402) escaped to Yunnan and renounced at this temple. The temple was rebuilt during the rule of Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1875–1908) of the Qing dynasty, and repaired twice between 1980 and 1987. It was listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.
The temple faces east and occupies 1.7 ha. The temple consists of the stone gateway, main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, side buildings, Great Hero Hall, Mahakasyapa Hall, the Gallery of Sudhana’s Fifty-Three Visits, sutra repository, and the Avalokitesvara Pavilion. The five-bay wide Great Hero Hall is 13 m high, 23 m wide, and 18 m deep. The hall is a wooden building with a post and lintel construction, and has a hip-and-gable roof. The two-story sutra repository has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. It houses a statue of Emperor Jianwen (reigned 1398–1402) of the Ming dynasty dressed in monastic robes with palms joined. Statues of an old official and a eunuch stand next to the emperor. These statues were made during the early years of Emperor Kangxi (reigned 1661–1722).