Sanxue Temple

CHINA, Liaoning, Anshan

Sanxue refers to the three practices: precepts, meditation, and wisdom. According to the stele erected to commemorate the restoration of the temple, it was constructed during the Tang dynasty (618–907) but was destroyed after the Liao dynasty (907–1125). It was not until the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644) that the temple was reconstructed, with further repairs made in subsequent years. The temple was listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site in 1988.
Facing south, the temple compound is 92 m long and 46 m wide. The buildings include the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Hero Hall, sutra repository, side buildings, and meditation hall. The five-by-four bay Heavenly King Hall has a hip-and-gable roof. Doors are located in the central bay at both the front and rear of the building, with windows occupying the bays on either side. The outer bays consist of brick walls. This mainly wooden building has retained most of its Ming characteristics. The Great Hero Hall was destroyed by fire in 1982 and was rebuilt during the 1990s. It has a hip-and-gable roof and a brick and timber structure. Carvings of dragons decorate the main ridge and at both ends. The side ridges have carvings of mythical creatures. The sutra repository is also called the Vairocana Hall and was built during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It is a five-by-four bay two-story building with a flush gable roof. It has doors in the central bay and widows in the side bays.
Some of the buildings still retain characteristics of the Liaodong region from the Ming dynasty. The temple provides valuable source materials for the study of timber architecture from the Ming dynasty as well as the development of temple layouts.