Youxian Temple

CHINA, Shanxi, Jincheng

Youxian means Traveling Immortal. It was built between 990 and 994 during the Northern Song dynasty and was repaired in subsequent dynasties. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2001.
Facing south, the buildings along the central axis include the main temple gate, Spring Autumn Building, Vairocana Hall, Hall of the Three Buddhas, Hall of the Seven Buddhas, as well as side buildings. Built during the Song dynasty (960–1279), the Vairocana Hall has retained its original structure: it is square and measures three-bays by six-rafters. The single-eave hip-and-gable roof has a gentle slope. The eaves are extended and supported by two-tier bracket sets with single projecting bracket arms and downward-pointing cantilevers.
The Hall of the Three Buddhas is from the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), and it underwent large-scale renovation during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). The hall now has a five-bay by six-rafter structure with a single-eave overhanging gable roof covered in gray cylindrical tiles.
The Hall of the Seven Buddhas was constructed from natural materials and displays an obvious Yuan building style. The rest of the buildings within the temple were constructed during the Ming (1368–1644) or Qing (1644–1911) dynasties.