Chongfu Temple

CHINA, Shanxi, Shuozhou

Chongfu means Sublime Blessing. According to the records the first structure of the temple was the sutra repository built in 665 during the Tang dynasty. The Amitabha Hall was added in 1143 during the Jin dynasty, while the Avalokitesvara Hall was added shortly after and the temple was converted to the Pure Land school. Apart from these two halls, the rest of the buildings are from the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. The temple was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1988.
Facing south, the temple complex is 200 m long and 120 m wide with five courtyards. The buildings along the central axis include the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Thousand Buddha Pavilion, which was originally the sutra repository, Triple Gem Hall, Amitabha Hall, Avalokitesvara Hall, the Bell and Drum Towers, and the side halls.
The seven-by-four bay Amitabha Hall, the main hall of the temple, has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The base is 2.5 m high with an extension at the front. The glazed tiles on the roof are blue, green, and yellow. The decorations located on either side of the main ridge are about 3.2 m high and were made during the Jin dynasty. The eaves are supported by four-tier bracket sets with two projecting bracket arms and double downward-pointing cantilevers. The Jin dynasty lattice doors at the front are decorated with more than 15 types of floral patterns. The interior roof frame is exposed. The two central columns have been removed in order to increase the space inside. Statues of Amitabha Buddha Triad, four attendants, and two warriors all dated to the Jin dynasty are enshrined within. The walls are covered with murals painted during the same time.