Wulong Temple Wenchang Pavilion

Wulong Temple Wenchang Pavilion

Wulong Temple Wenchang Pavilion is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Wulong Temple Wenchang Pavilion is located at the foot of Wulong Mountain in Baihu Village, Helou Township, Langzhong City, Sichuan Province.

Built in the third year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1343), it faces south and is nestled against the mountain, with a total floor area of 100 square meters. Originally situated at the northern end of the temple’s central axis, the pavilion has a square floor plan, with both its width and depth measuring 10 meters, and features a hip-and-gable roof. The beam framework consists of four-tiered bracket sets spanning across front and rear beams with diagonal struts supported by four pillars. The architraves are crafted from curved wood to resemble crescent beams, and the side columns show noticeable inward inclination. The front eaves feature bracket sets in the six-row, three-step style. The rear eaves have no bracket sets, only diagonal struts extending out to support the overhanging eave boards. The eaves project out up to 1.5 meters, with slightly upturned wing corners, giving a graceful appearance.

The entire structure exhibits certain architectural characteristics outlined in the Song Dynasty's Yingzao Fashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods), as well as distinct regional features. Its “forked hands” (bracket arm components) use materials rarely seen in buildings of the same period, and the secondary bays on the left and right retain "grass-wrapped beams" and round wooden rafters. The building boasts an elegant design and grand construction style, resembling the form of Shanxi’s Wulong Temple. Although only the rear hall of Wulong Temple Wenchang Pavilion remains, it is one of the comparatively well-preserved Yuan Dynasty structures.

In June 2001, Wulong Temple Wenchang Pavilion was designated as part of the fifth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Protected Area: To the front (south), it is bounded by the edge of the flagpole plaza terrace in front of the temple; to the north, it is bounded by the retaining wall behind the Wenchang Pavilion; to the east and west, it is bounded by a line 5 meters outward from the Wenchang Pavilion and its original architectural ruins.

Construction Control Zone: Bounded by the protected area, it extends eastward to the mountain pass 180 meters away, southward to the road beneath the ridgeline, westward to the small ditch at the pointed land 100 meters away, and northward to the top of Lao Longtou Mountain behind the Wenchang Pavilion.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units