Huiluan Temple

CHINA, Shanxi, Jinzhong

Huiluan stands for Return of Emperor from Inspection Tour. The construction date of the temple is unknown but Emperor Taizong (reigned 626–649) of the Tang dynasty visited this temple on his journey back to the palace. During the late Five Dynasties period (907–960) the temple was destroyed during wartime but was later rebuilt. The temple was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
Facing south, the surviving structures within the temple include the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, the Great Hero Hall and its side halls. Apart from the Great Hero Hall, which was constructed during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), the rest of the buildings are either from the Ming (1368–1644) or Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. The Great Hero Hall has a single-eave overhanging gable roof covered in cylindrical clay tiles. It has a five-bay by six-rafter structure with simple beams, which are features of Yuan dynasty architecture.