Caoxi Temple

CHINA, Yunnan, Kunming

The temple was constructed during the Dali Kingdom (937–1253). Parts of it were destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. It was destroyed in wartime in 1869 during the Qing dynasty. During the rule of Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1875–1908) the temple was completely rebuilt in its original form. It was listed as a Yunnan Cultural Heritage Site in 1983.
The temple is built according to the contours of the mountain. Along the central axis there are the main temple gate, Skanda Hall, main hall, and rear hall. On the sides there are the bell tower, drum tower, meditation cells, and reception hall. The five-by-five bay main hall has a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. It is 12.3 m wide and 11 m deep. The eaves are supported by vivid bracket sets. The upper eaves have three-tier bracket sets with triple projecting bracket arms, while the lower eaves have two-tier bracket sets. The interior of the hall has a post-and-lintel structure with an exposed roof frame.
There are many sculptures stored within the temple, for example, wooden statues of the South Sea Triad (Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas) from the Southern Song (1127–1279); statues of the Amitabha Buddha Triad from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644); and copper statues of Mahakala and the South Sea Triad from the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Additionally, there are superb steles with high quality calligraphy composed or written by famous calligraphers and literati.