Donglin Temple Main Hall

Donglin Temple Main Hall

The main hall of Donglin Temple is a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The main hall of Donglin Temple was originally named Guanyin Hall. It was first built in the first year of the Zhiyuan era (1308) during the Yuan Dynasty by Monk Miaoyin. In the second year of the Huangqing era (1313), Monk Yuanzhi from Xilin Temple came to establish the monastery here,

and the name was changed to Donglin Chan Temple. It was destroyed by war in the first year of the Zhizheng era (1341). At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Monk Zhiyi rebuilt it,

but it later collapsed due to long-term neglect. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Koji and others reconstructed it. In the fifth year of the Daoguang era (1825), the main hall was destroyed by fire. In the ninth year of the Daoguang era (1829), Monk Nianhuai rebuilt it again. In May 1998, the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee funded its restoration. The entire hall was lifted 60 centimeters as a whole, and the project was completed in December of the same year. This hall faces south and is built with brick and wood. It features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, stands 15.2 meters tall, has a width of five bays plus an open corridor, and extends six bays in depth, covering a construction area of 351 square meters. The roof ridge decorations are elaborate, with three crouching beasts on each flying gable. The wooden interior columns and beams are thick and sturdy, and the bracket sets (dougong) are densely arranged and well-ordered. Both the upper and lower eaves feature one-dou-six-lift bracket sets. There are a total of 12 front and rear eave columns. It is currently the largest single ancient building among Buddhist structures in the Shanghai area. In 1987, it was designated as a municipal cultural relics protection unit.

Former Site of Wang Bingnan’s Residence