Wutaishan Jinge Temple

CHINA, Shanxi, Xinzhou

Jinge means Golden Pavilion. According to a stele inscription it was built in 627 during the Tang dynasty. The present buildings and statues were either renovated or added during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The temple is listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.
Facing south, the temple covers 2.1 ha and is divided into the front compound and rear compound. The main hall in the front compound is the Great Compassion Hall, while the Great Hero Hall dominates the rear compound. The five-by-three bay Great Compassion Hall has a hip-and-gable roof. It has two stories with a veranda surrounding the lower story while the upper story is encircled by a gallery. Inside the building the second floor was removed in order to enshrine a 17.7 m high statue of Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara in 1555 during the Ming dynasty. To the west of the altar is a 1 m high, circular, stone, lotus-shaped column plinth dating back to the Tang dynasty (618–907). The five-by-three bay Great Hero Hall has a single-eave flush gable roof, and the Three Buddhas are enshrined within.
A long two-story building separates the front and rear compounds. The lower story features a series of 19 archways with the central arch connecting the two compounds; the rest are monastic quarters. The upper story has a single-eave flush gable roof. It is constructed from timber and consists of 19 bays which are separated into nine different shrines, including the Vairocana Shrine, Ksitigarbha Shrine, Bhaisajyaraja Shrine, Shrine of the Five Hundred Arhats, and Jade Emperor Shrine.