Futuo Temple

Futuo Temple

Futuo Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level by Hangzhou City.

Futuo Temple, also known as Baolong Temple or Baoyan Monastery, is located in a mountain valley of Futuo Mountain, 3 kilometers northeast of Banshan Village, Baitang Town. Dating back to the Qing Dynasty, it is categorized as an ancient architectural structure.

According to the Jiaying-era (1796–1820) Yuhang County Annals of the Qing Dynasty: “Baoyan Monastery was located at the border of Gucheng, 120 li north of the county. Originally named Baolong, it was founded in the second year of the Qiánhuà era of the Liang Dynasty (912) by the monk Juéhǎi, and renamed in the second year of the Zhìpíng era of the Song Dynasty (1065). It was destroyed during warfare at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, rebuilt in the early Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, and renamed Futuo Temple. In the twelfth year of the Shùnzhì era of the Qing Dynasty (1655), it was rebuilt again and reverted to the name Baolong Temple.” By the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras (1862–1908), the resident monks Genshēng and Qìngshàn raised funds to renovate and expand the temple, bringing it to a considerable scale. Today, only the Mahavira Hall remains—a single structure with a flush gable roof, horse-head walls on both sides, a three-bay, two-courtyard layout with a total width of 14.24 meters, featuring front and rear corridors, and a total depth of 16.45 meters. The central bay uses a main ridgepole (12.5 meters high), with four steps used in place of a principal beam, and includes front and rear double-step corridors. The materials used are refined, the hall is lofty and spacious, and the beams, brackets, and braces are intricately carved, presenting a grand and majestic atmosphere. In front of the temple are over a dozen towering cryptomeria trees, several meters in diameter, along with a soaring ancient kasa pine beside the path, all aged around four to five hundred years. The hillsides are covered with verdant bamboo, while pine and fir trees line the paths, and mountain streams meander through the area.

In 2009, Futuo Temple was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site under protection by Hangzhou City.

Protected Area: Covers the old and new courtyards of Futuo Temple, with a total area of 18,279 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: Extends approximately 30 meters east of the protected area, 30 meters south, 100 meters west, and 80 meters north, covering a total area of 70,912 square meters.

Baitang Town: Located at the northwest end of Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Baitang Town is 46 kilometers from downtown Hangzhou, 20 kilometers east to Mount Mogan, 18 kilometers west to Tianhuangping—the largest pumped-storage power station in Asia, and 22 kilometers from Penggong Railway Station. Provincial Highway 04, a high-grade road, runs through the entire town, providing it with a uniquely advantageous location and well-developed transportation. The town administers 6 incorporated villages, 1 community (residential committee), 93 villager groups, and has a population of 10,925, covering an area of 60.4 square kilometers. Known as the “Bamboo Sea,” Baitang Town has a total land area of 6,043 hectares, including 3,630 hectares of moso bamboo forest... More details about Baitang Town++