Yonghe Temple Wanfu Pavilion

CHINA, Beijing

Wanfu means Ten Thousand Blessings. The building is located within Yonghe Temple. It was constructed between 1748 and 1750 during the Qing dynasty. With a height of 30 m, it is the tallest building in the temple. The five-by-five bay structure is constructed almost entirely from wood and has a double-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. From the outside it appears to be two stories high, but there are three stories on the inside. The building houses a standing Maitreya Buddha statue, where 18 m is above the floor and 8 m beneath the floor. The statue was carved from a single piece of white sandalwood. The surrounding columns support balconies, forming an atrium in the center for the statue.
Next to the Wanfu Pavilion there are the Eternal Health and Prolonged Soothing Pavilions, both of which are two stories high. The three pavilions are linked by covered bridges, known as Flying Corridors. This design represents the heavens where the deities reside, and is therefore also called Heavenly Palace. These architectural features are mostly from the Liao (907–1125) and Jin (1115–1234) dynasties and can be found in Tang (618–907) mural paintings at Dunhuang. Not many of these Flying Corridors are found on buildings, as most are used on canopies, or the areas around ceilings. Their sizes are a lot smaller and they are considered to be wooden artwork as opposed to architecture.