The Mahavira Hall of Zhengjue Temple in Fanshi

The Mahavira Hall of Zhengjue Temple in Fanshi

The Mahavira Hall of Zhengjue Temple in Fanshi is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Zhengjue Temple is located at No. 35, Erdao Street, Dongchengjie Village, Fanshi Town, Fanshi County. Its founding date is unknown. In the early Northern Song Dynasty, it was called Tianwang Temple, and during the Yihé period, the imperial court bestowed the name “Zhengjue Chan Temple.” It was renovated by Wang Zhao, the deputy military commander of Jianshou during the Yuan Dynasty. The temple site was originally located to the north of Xingyuan Village on the south bank of the Hutuo River but was relocated to the center of the current county seat during the relocation of the county town in the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. The temple and the drum tower are aligned along a central axis, facing south and occupying a rectangular area of 2,667 square meters. The Heavenly King Hall was demolished in 1982 and replaced by a modern two-story building. The surviving structures include the main hall, the east and west side halls, and the passageway hall, all of which are currently occupied by the Grain Bureau.

The main hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, featuring a hip-and-gable roof and a full covering of flat tiles. The bracket sets and the beams above the interior have been sealed with mud by the Grain Bureau, making the structure unclear. The exposed parts include: thick internal tie beams spanning three bays, the entire five-bay hall supported by only two king posts, large bracket arms beneath the king posts, internal tie beam ends connected to the gable-side bracket sets via through ties, and four-rafter beams intersecting at the back of the internal tie beams. In the rear corner, suspended columns are used. The materials are finely cut, dating back to the Jin Dynasty. The remaining buildings are from the Qing Dynasty. Two stone lions and half of a stele inscribed with a painting of the Water–Land Ritual are also preserved.

In May 2013, the Mahavira Hall of Zhengjue Temple in Fanshi was designated as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Dongchengjie Village: Dongchengjie Village…… More information about Dongchengjie Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units