Qibao Temple

Qibao Temple

Qibao Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Qibao Temple is located on Mount Zangzhu by Qibao Stream in the southeast of Yanzhou Township, approximately 65 kilometers northwest of Nanchong City. It consists of a memorial archway mountain gate, front hall, main hall, Wenchang Tower, Kuixing Tower, Nanchi Academy, and corridors, following the undulating terrain and forming a courtyard-style temple complex covering an area of about 3,000 square meters.

Also known as Longtai Temple, the founding date of Qibao Temple is unknown.

The main hall is situated atop Mount Zangzhu and was rebuilt in the 13th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1518). It features a plain stone base, a wooden post-and-lintel roof structure, a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, and a rectangular floor plan measuring 21.42 meters in width (with the central bay at 4.2 meters, the side bays at 2.97 meters, and the end bays at 6.03 meters) and 8.8 meters in depth. The eaves are 5 meters high, and the ridge reaches 8 meters. The central bay has a six-rafter wooden framework with four columns supporting the front and rear ties. The building covers an area of 270 square meters and serves as the main structure of Qibao Temple.

The platform foundation features a wooden post-and-lintel roof frame with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The plan is rectangular, measuring 21.42 meters in width across five bays (the central bay is 4.2 meters wide, the side bays are 2.97 meters wide, and the end bays are 6.03 meters wide), and 8.8 meters in depth. The eaves are 5 meters high, and the ridge is 8 meters high. The central bay has a six-rafter wooden framework, supported by four posts with front and rear tension rods. The building covers a floor area of 270 square meters and is the main structure of Qibao Temple.

The front hall, constructed in the 47th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1708) in front of the main hall, is also known as the Four Heavenly Kings Hall. It has a ridge height of 4.93 meters, a width of 10.41 meters across three bays (with the central bay at 5.19 meters and the side bays at 2.74 meters), and a depth of 10.09 meters. It features a wooden post-and-lintel roof structure and a gable-and-hip roof, standing 5 meters away from the main hall. The central bay has an eight-rafter wooden framework with three ties and four columns. The building covers an area of about 101 square meters.

It is [width not specified in this segment] meters wide (the central bay is 5.19 meters wide, the side bays are 2.74 meters wide) and 10.09 meters deep, with a wooden post-and-lintel roof frame featuring a flush-gable roof. It stands 5 meters away from the main hall. The central bay has an eight-rafter wooden framework, supported by three through-beams and four posts. The building has a floor area of approximately 101 square meters.

The mountain gate outside the front hall was originally built in the 18th year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1753) and underwent repairs in 1899. It measures 17.35 meters in width across five bays and 6.41 meters in depth, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and a wooden post-and-lintel roof structure. The central bay has a six-rafter wooden framework with three ties and four columns. A wooden plaque measuring 0.68 meters in width and 2.28 meters in length hangs beneath the main ridge, inscribed with the four characters "Qibao Zhuangyan" (Majestic Seven Treasures) written by Du Boxuan of the Qing Dynasty.

Five meters in front of the mountain gate, on the mountainside of Mount Zangzhu, stands a wooden memorial archway. The archway features a four-pillar, three-door, double-eave hip-and-gable roof, a post-and-lintel structure, and 19 bracket sets (dougong) beneath the eaves, including both column-top and intercolumnar bracket sets. The archway is 7 meters tall and 8.94 meters wide, resting on a plain bluestone base that is 0.97 meters high and 2.71 meters wide.

Behind the main hall is the Wenchang Tower, built in the 61st year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1722) and located 3 meters from the main hall. This two-story wooden structure stands 7.18 meters tall, measures 21.75 meters in width across five bays, and 8 meters in depth. The front and rear eave brackets are 9.82 meters apart, and it features a post-and-lintel roof structure. The front eave is single-layered, while the rear eave is double-layered, reaching a height of 5.04 meters. The central bay has a six-rafter wooden framework with three ties and five columns arranged centrally.

Behind the Wenchang Tower is the Kuixing Tower, whose foundation is 2.8 meters lower than that of the Wenchang Tower. It shares the same architectural style as the Wenchang Tower but was renovated in August 1952.

Qibao Temple adopts a traditional symmetrical layout, with a central axis featuring the memorial archway mountain gate, front hall, main hall, Wenchang Tower, and Kuixing Tower. These structures are connected by corridors, forming a relatively enclosed courtyard-style temple complex.

On May 5, 1981, the Nanchong County People's Government designated it as a cultural relics protection unit.

On October 7, 2019, Qibao Temple was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

On October 20, 1990, the Nanchong County People's Government, through Document Nanchong Fu Fa (1990) No. 168, stipulated that the area within 30 meters outside the auxiliary steps of Qibao Temple (including its affiliated buildings) would be the key protection zone, while the area within 50 meters would be the general protection zone.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units