Nine-Dragon Hall of Mount Putuo

Nine-Dragon Hall of Mount Putuo

The Nine-Dragon Hall, also known as the Yuantong Hall, is the main hall of Fayu Temple. In front of the hall stand over ten ancient trees, among which two large trees (an ancient ginkgo and an ancient cypress) soar high into the sky — the ginkgo on the west side is about three people’s arms in circumference, with an age of over 500 years; the dragon-phoenix cypress on the east side is rugged and vigorous, twisting like a coiled dragon or chi, with a unique shape. It is one of the most famous ancient cypresses on Mount Putuo.

The stone railing panels in front of the main hall are carved on three sides with scenes from the Twenty-Four Paragons of Filial Piety, derived from the stories of twenty-four filial exemplars compiled by Guo Jujing of the Yuan Dynasty (filial piety is originally a Confucian concept, but it is also depicted in many Buddhist temples). These reliefs feature complete compositions and smooth lines, and are masterpieces among Ming Dynasty stone carvings, possessing high artistic value.

The main hall was built in the 38th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1699), when Emperor Kangxi bestowed the plaque “Fayu Chan Temple.” He issued an order to “dismantle the old hall in Jinling to be bestowed here,” using 120,000 glazed tiles from the city of Jinling, replicating the design of the Nine-Dragon Hall of the Ming Imperial Palace in Jinling. The hall has seven bays, is 22 meters high, 35.35 meters wide, and 20.31 meters deep, covering an area of nearly 1,000 square meters.

Inside the hall, there are no beams or nails — a remarkable feat. It is currently the largest and highest in architectural artistry among temple buildings in China.

The most famous feature within the Nine-Dragon Hall is one of the “Three Treasures of Mount Putuo,” the “Nine-Dragon Caisson Ceiling”: the caisson ceiling is carved in an elegant and classic pattern of nine dragons playing with a pearl — one dragon coils around the top while eight dragons encircle the eight vertical pillars, soaring downward with heads raised.

The bases of the eight golden pillars are adorned with exquisitely carved dragon bricks, and hanging from the center is a glazed lamp that resembles a bright pearl, forming a three-dimensional design of nine dragons playing with a pearl. With its graceful form and bold carving style, it was created in the early Ming Dynasty — the name “Nine-Dragon Hall” originates from this feature.

Address: Within the Fayu Temple Scenic Area, Mount Putuo, Putuo District, Zhoushan

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 hour

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the scenic area ticket. Fayu Temple entrance fee is 5 RMB. Mount Putuo Scenic Area ticket: 140 RMB in the low season (December–January), 160 RMB in the peak season (February–November), and 200 RMB during Spring Festival, Labor Day, and National Day holidays.