Haizang Temple

CHINA, Gansu, Wuwei

The exact year of the temple’s construction is unknown; however, it is one of the better preserved ancient structures found in the Hexi Corridor. According to the Stele of the Sutra Repository erected during the 18th century, the temple was most likely built sometime between the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties. Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen, the fourth patriarch of the Sakya school, taught the Dharma here during the 13th century but not long after this the temple was abandoned. It was not until the 15th century that it underwent large scale renovation. The temple then followed Chinese Buddhism instead of Tibetan Buddhism. It was listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site in 1963.
The temple compound faces south. Immediately after entering the main temple gate there is the Great Hero Hall, followed by the Ksitigarbha Hall and then the Hall of the Three Sages. In the back courtyard, there are the Heavenly King Hall and the Infinity Hall, which are both built on the 20 m high Lingjun Platform. The Infinity Hall has a double-eave hip-and-gable roof and is a three-by-two bay structure. Beneath the eaves there are two-tier bracket sets with two fake cantilevers.