Gongzhu Temple

CHINA, Shanxi, Xinzhou

Gongzhu stands for Princess. According to the records the temple was built by Princess Chengxin during the time of Emperor Wencheng (reigned 452–465) of the Northern Wei dynasty. It was once destroyed in wartime and has been repaired and rebuilt on a number of occasions. In 1503 during the Ming dynasty, it was relocated from Shansi village and rebuilt in its current location. Apart from the Vairocana Hall and Great Hero Hall, which were constructed during the Ming dynasty, the rest of the buildings were built during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
The temple faces south, occupies 4,347 sq m, and consists of three courtyards. Along the central axis there are the main temple gate, intermediate hall, Skanda Hall, and the Great Hero Hall. Side halls include the Sangharama Hall, Horse King Hall, Wealth Deity Hall, and the Erlang Hall. The Great Hero Hall has a single-eave overhanging gable roof and a three-bay by six-rafter structure. It contains the Three Buddhas, with Sakymuni Buddha in the middle, and the Medicine Buddha and Amitabha Buddha on either side. Murals depicting figures in the Water and Land Dharma Service fill the walls. A total of 470 vivid characters are featured.
The three-by-three bay Vairocana Hall, or intermediate hall, has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The eaves are supported by two-tier bracket sets. A statue of Vairocana Buddha is enshrined within the hall, with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva featured behind the Buddha. Statues of the Eighteen Arhats line the side walls. Their poses and designs are all different, and they are brightly painted and lavishly decorated.