Baitai Temple

CHINA, Shanxi, Yuncheng

Baitai means White Terrace. The date of construction is unknown, although it is known that it was repaired in 726 during the Tang dynasty. It has been rebuilt and renovated a number of times. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
The existing main buildings include the Fazang Pavilion, Sakyamuni Hall, the rear hall and the side halls. The Fazang Pavilion was built in the Jin dynasty (1115–1234). It is three stories high, three bays wide and has a hip-and-gable roof. Inside the Amitabha Buddha Triad is found in the upper section, while the lower section features Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
The three bays wide Sakyamuni Hall was constructed during the rule of Emperor Zhangzong (reigned 1189–1208) of the Jin dynasty. Sakyamuni Buddha, Ananda, Mahakasyapa, two attending Bodhisattvas, Skanda, and six Arhats are enshrined within and retain their original Jin dynasty characteristics. The five bays wide rear hall has an overhanging gable. It contains statues of a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. Its two side halls have statues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Ten Kings of Hell, and Bhaisajyaraja Bodhisattva. The temple has a Tang dynasty (618–907) pagoda-shaped pillar with nine sections, as well as an iron stele dated to 1121 during the Northern Song dynasty.