Jiannan Jidu Temple

Jiannan Jidu Temple

Jiannan Jidu Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Jiannan Jidu Temple is located atop Cuihua Mountain in Jiannan Village, Jianning Township, Gaoping City. It faces south, stretching 98 meters from north to south and 56 meters from east to west, covering an area of approximately 3,358 square meters. The exact date of its establishment is unknown, but according to inscriptions within the temple, it was renovated in the 31st year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1691).

The temple has three courtyards, with structures along the central axis including a first gate, a second gate, the remains of the Offering Hall, the Jidu Hall, and the Rear Palace. Flanking these are side gates, wing halls, side chambers, bell and drum towers, and auxiliary halls. The first gate, a Ming Dynasty structure, is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a hanging hip roof covered in tubular and flat tiles featuring a glazed edge and a glazed ridge. The column-top bracket sets feature five-curved dougong with double upward extensions, while the intermediate bracket sets have five-curved dougong with single upward and single outward extensions plus diagonal outward extensions. The second gate, also a Ming Dynasty structure, is three bays wide and four rafters deep. It uses large lintels at the columns, has a hanging hip roof with tubular and flat tiles featuring a glazed edge and a glazed ridge. The column-top bracket set features nine-curved dougong with a single upward and single outward extension plus 45-degree diagonal outward extensions, with the diagonal cantilever ends shaped like dragons; the intermediate bracket sets have nine-curved dougong without diagonal extensions. The Jidu Hall is a Yuan Dynasty structure. It is five bays wide and six rafters deep, with beams arranged as four rafters opposing a front breast beam... (the rest continues in similar technical detail).

The architectural space of Jiannan Jidu Temple is spacious and open, giving it significant historical value.

In May 2013, Jiannan Jidu Temple was designated as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Jiannan Village: Located south of Jianning Village, the seat of Jianning Township government, Jiannan Village has 740 households, 2,600 residents, 10 villager groups, 10 Party groups, and 74 Party members. In recent years, local officials and residents have been actively building a new socialist countryside, achieving new results in infrastructure, accelerating the construction of small market towns, improving service functions, and promoting balanced development in economy, culture, and social services, further raising living standards. The village has a rich traditional cultural heritage, with ancient temple ruins scattered throughout. Notably, the grand Jidu Temple and Zhiji Temple, as well as the Thousand Buddha Statue Stele located in the Zhiji area of Jiannan Village... More details on Jiannan Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units