The temple is built on a slope.
Arranged along the central axis that extends northward are the Heavenly King
Hall, the Main Hall, the Hall of Goddess of Mercy and the Sutra Attic, with the
Bell Tower and the Drum Tower on the two wings and other buildings. It has the
flavor of traditional Chinese architecture and shows a distinction between
different structures. In front of the hall, there are springs and ponds,
rippling all year round. Following the steps from the foot of the mountain, you
can reach the Baoguo Temple.
The Main Hall, built in the 6th
year (1013) during the Dazhong Xiangfu reign of the Northern Song Dynasty
(960-1127), is three bays in width and depth, and is in the layout of a vertical
rectangle to let more disciples express their homage. In the front, three sunk
panels are ingeniously installed, demonstrating the fine and rare architectural
techniques at that time. The sunk panels are at a low position, while the place
for the statue of Buddha is high and spacious, forming striking contrast. This
well sets off an atmosphere of solemnity and superiority of the Buddha.
The Main Hall employs wooden square blocks
inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam in several places, along
the outer eaves, on columns and crossbeams. The columns in the hall are made
with ingenuity, that around a relatively small column, some long curved pieces
of wood are wrapped to make the column in the shape of arris. In this way, it
not only saves materials, but also makes the appearance look more gorgeous. The
hall refrains from using flashy ornaments and focuses on its practicality. It
can effectively reduce damages caused by earthquakes.
With a history of more than 960 years, the
temple is a rare example of wooden structure construction in the south area of
the Yangtze River. The fact that it is perfectly preserved under the rainy and
moist conditions shows forcefully its reasonable design and superb techniques.
It serves as a significant evidence for the research on wooden-structure
constructions in the early period of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The temple is surrounded in secluded
mountains and dense forests as well as picturesque
scenery.