Longxing Temple

CHINA, Anhui, Chuzhou

The original name of the temple was Huangjue Temple and was located 6 km southwest of Fengyang. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (reigned 1368–1398) of the Ming dynasty stayed at this temple when he renounced as a child. It was destroyed in wartime, rebuilt in its present location in 1383, and given the new name of Longxing Temple. The temple reached the peak of its prosperity during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but later suffered damage from military attack and fire. It was rebuilt in 1869 during the Qing dynasty, and again in 1942. Some repairs were made to the temple in 1959, but it endured serious damage in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution. It has undergone a series of repairs since 1992. The temple was listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site in 1981.
Facing north, the existing buildings include a gateway, the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, hexagonal pavilion, Great Hero Hall, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, chanting hall, and the sutra repository. The main temple gate has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and a single-arch doorway. The hexagonal pavilion has a single-eave pyramidal roof. The five-by-three bay Great Hero Hall is an imposing building with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof.