Hongji Temple

Hongji Temple

Hongji Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Dai County.

Hongji Temple is located east of Xiamujiao Village, Eko Town, Dai County. Its founding date is unknown. According to inscriptions in the temple, it was renovated in the 25th year of the Jiaqing reign (1820) and the 4th year of the Daoguang reign (1824) during the Qing Dynasty. The temple faces south and covers an area of 3,118 square meters. It has a two-courtyard layout, with structures arranged along the central axis including a front hall (originally housing the God of Officials at the front and the Kṣitigarbha King at the back), the Mahavira Hall, as well as side halls on the east, including the east side hall and the east auxiliary hall. The existing Mahavira Hall is a remnant from the Ming Dynasty, while the rest of the structures date from the Qing Dynasty.

The Mahavira Hall sits on a stone platform that is 10.7 meters wide, 8.2 meters deep, and 0.2 meters high. The hall is three bays wide and four rafters deep, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, a five-rafter structure without a corridor, and bracket sets. It has painted decorations and murals. The front eaves of the side halls feature four-panel lattice doors, while the rear eaves have lattice windows. The interior walls include colored murals covering 5.84 square meters. The front hall also stands on a stone platform, which is 10.55 meters wide, 12.15 meters deep, and 0.1 meters high. It is three bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof, a seven-rafter structure with corridors in the front and rear, and lattice doors and windows on the front and rear eaves. The interior features painted murals spanning 51.22 square meters. The temple also preserves one Ming Dynasty stone lantern tower and three Qing Dynasty stone steles recording renovations and donations. In 1984, the People’s Government of Dai County designated it as a county-level cultural heritage site. (Content excerpted from "Highlights of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou")

Source: Xinzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

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