Putuoshan Huiji Temple

CHINA, Zhejiang, Zhoushan

The temple is also known as Fodingshan (Buddha Summit Mountain) Temple. It is one of the Three Major Temples on Putuoshan. During the rule of Emperor Wanli (reigned 1572–1620) of the Ming dynasty, monk Yuanhui split a rock to lay the foundations for the original temple, which became known as Huiji Hermitage. In 1793 during the Qing dynasty, Hengxue Nengji, a monk from the Linji school, oversaw the repair of the Great Hero Hall and other buildings, as well as an expansion of the temple. In 1907, monk Dehua brought back a collection of Tripitaka and monk Wenzi expanded the temple once again. The temple was repaired during the 1980s and it was listed as a key Buddhist temple in the Han region of China in 1983.
Occupying more than 1.3 ha, with the buildings taking up over 6,188 sq m, the temple consists of a series of courtyards. The south-facing Great Hero Hall is the main building of the temple. Other buildings include the sutra repository, Great Compassion Pavilion, abbot’s quarters, and the Avalokitesvara Hall. The Heavenly King Hall stands to the south of the Great Hero Hall. On the east and west there are subsidiary buildings. There is a bell tower to the east of the main courtyard but the temple lacks a drum tower.
The Great Hero Hall has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof that is covered in yellow glazed tiles. The main ridge and hips are raised up and they are decorated with dragons. A statue of Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined within the hall, while 20 statues of heavenly beings are lined up on either side. The Avalokitesvara Hall was built in 1989 and its walls contain 123 stone engravings of the Bodhisattva, each in a different posture.