Scripture Depository

Scripture Depository

The Scripture Depository is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Scripture Depository, also known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, is located amid the vast surroundings between the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and the Linggu Temple. It was initiated for fundraising by the Buddhist Association of China in November 1934 and completed in October of the following year. This building was specially constructed to house items related to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and consists of three parts: the main hall, monks' quarters, and a stele corridor.

The main hall is a palatial-style building that also resembles a monastery structure. It has three floors: the ground floor serves as a scripture lecture hall, with balcony seating; the second floor is used for storing scriptures, reading, and research; and the third floor houses the scripture collection. Behind the building is a 125-meter-long corridor-style structure, whose walls are inlaid with stone tablets engraved with the full text of General Feng Yuxiang’s donated inscriptions on the “Doctrine of...” There are six lectures totaling 138 tablets, comprising over 155,000 characters. Each lecture was calligraphed by a noted calligrapher of the time, including Zhang Naigong, Chen Tianxi, Lian Shenghai, Li Qichen, Ye Gongchuo, Zheng Hongnian, Chen Zhongjing, Cai Yun, Hu Di, Peng Chunshe, Wang Yihan, Li Xuanti, Wang Xian, and Deng Fenweng, making it a set of invaluable cultural relics celebrated for both their calligraphy and carving.