Youxian Temple
Era: Northern Song to Qing dynasties
Address: 10 kilometers south of Gaoping City, on the southern slope of Youxian Mountain, west of Zaili Village
The temple derives its name from the mountain and was once called Cijiao Temple. It was first built during the Chunhua era of the Song Dynasty (990–994), and has undergone multiple renovations over the dynasties. The existing Pilu Hall is an original structure from the Song Dynasty, the Three Buddhas Hall dates back to the Jin Dynasty, while the rest were built during the Ming and Qing periods.
The temple faces south and has three courtyards. Along the central axis are the Mountain Gate, Spring and Autumn Tower, Pilu Hall, Three Buddhas Hall, and Seven Buddhas Hall, with side halls, wing rooms, and corridors on both sides.
The Three Buddhas Hall is five bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof covered in tubular and flat tiles. It features a front porch corridor, with bracket sets only used on the front eaves, while the rear eaves have single brackets. The roof structure uses large beams supported by columns, with bracket arms extending outwards. The front eaves have lattice doors, the side bays have partition walls with four-panel lattice windows, and sunshades are installed above the window lintels. The rear eaves also have lattice doors. The columns have slight inclinations and rises. The eave brackets are arranged in a row, using a style that combines different bracket types. The interior has a coffered ceiling, and the wooden structure is well-preserved.

This article is published by HowToTrip. Sharing and reposting are welcome — please credit the source.
Article URL: https://www.howtotrip.net/travel-15223