Longquan Temple in Yuyao

Longquan Temple in Yuyao

Longquan Temple in Yuyao is a cultural relic protection unit of Yuyao City.

According to the "Gazetteer of Yuyao County · Sacrificial Rites" from the Guangxu era, Longquan Temple was built in the second year of the Xiankang reign during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (336), abolished in the second year of the Huichang reign of the Tang Dynasty (842), and rebuilt in the fifth year of the Dazhong reign (851). It was destroyed during the Jianyan years of the Southern Song Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, while fleeing from pursuing Jin troops, passed through Yuyao, climbed Longquan Mountain, and bestowed gold to rebuild the temple. In the thirteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty’s Zhiyuan era (1276), it was again destroyed, and then rebuilt in the first year of the Yuanchen era (1295). At that time, Longquan Temple was quite large in scale, featuring structures such as the Amitabha Pavilion, Thousand Buddha Pavilion, Coiling Dragon Pavilion, Arhat Hall, Shangfang Temple, Zhongtian Hall, East Zen Hall, Zhenguoguan Hall, Huanci Pavilion, Genghao Pavilion, and Longquan Pavilion. From the foot to the summit of the mountain, the halls and pavilions stood in an orderly fashion, backed by mountains and facing water, making it a scenic highlight of the region. Later, due to improper conduct by some monks, the temple was burned down by local residents. It was eventually rebuilt during the Guangxu era through fundraising efforts by nuns. The three characters “Longquan Temple” on the temple’s gate plaque were written by Yu Yao calligrapher Yang Jifang, in the style of Ouyang Xun, with bold, elegant, and vigorous strokes.

Longquan Temple faces south and is backed by Longquan Mountain, overlooking the Yao River. From south to north along the central axis, it consists of the mountain gate, front hall, floral-hanging gate, main hall (Mahavira Hall), and Guanyin Pavilion. On the east and west sides of the main hall are side halls. The entire architectural complex gradually ascends along the mountainside from the base of Longquan Mountain. Currently, only the main hall, the eastern side hall, and the Guanyin Pavilion remain.

The main hall is the principal structure, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, with a total width of 14.60 meters across five bays, and a depth of 19.40 meters. The central bay uses a post-and-lintel beam frame, while the side and rear bays employ a combination of post-and-lintel and pier-and-lintel construction. The beam supports are shaped like bracket arms and sitting blocks, on which crossed brackets are placed to support the various purlins and beams. In the second and third bays of the central bay, the horizontal bracket sets consist of four clusters, using one-bracket-three-riser bracket sets to support the five-purlin beam. The front overhang is supported by struts and cantilevered beam heads, which carry the eave purlins to support the eave rafters and upturned eaves. Below the central ridge beam plank is inscribed: “Rebuilt through donations by Nun Gongshun in the first year of the Guangxu reign of the Great Qing, in the month of the Yellow Bell, corresponding to the year of the Yang Water Sheep,” with the first year of the Guangxu reign being 1875 AD.

The eastern side hall is 22.70 meters wide across six bays and 6.54 meters deep, with a flush-gable roof. Due to the mountainous terrain, the southern three bays are lower than the northern three, forming two courtyards with higher interiors and lower exteriors.

Behind the main hall is the Guanyin Pavilion, which has a flush-gable roof, is 14.60 meters wide, and 7.38 meters deep. The building materials used are sturdy, with beams and penetrating brackets carved in the style of recessed moon beams, which are slender and tall. The joints between columns and purlins, and between columns and beams/brackets, use arches or long auxiliary beams, though many have been modified.

Longquan Temple is the most renowned Buddhist site in Yuyao. On March 19, 1997, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit by the Yuyao Municipal People’s Government.