Chongming Temple

　　Era: Northern Song to Ming Dynasty

　　Address: 15 km south of Gaoping City, at the eastern foot of Shengfo Mountain

　　Commonly known as Wolf Valley Temple. Established in the fourth year of the Kaibao era of the Northern Song Dynasty (971 AD), it was expanded during the Yuan Dynasty, and underwent renovations in the nineteenth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1591 AD) and the sixth year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1826 AD). Among the existing structures, the Middle Hall is a relic from the Song Dynasty, while the rest were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

　　The temple faces south and consists of two courtyards. Existing structures include the mountain gate, bell and drum towers, Middle Buddha Hall, Rear Buddha Hall, and East and West Side Halls.

　　The Rear Buddha Hall was built in the Yuan Dynasty and renovated in the Ming Dynasty. It is five bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof covered with tubular and flat tiles. The East and West Side Halls were built in the Yuan Dynasty but modified with flush-gable roofs during the Qing Dynasty.

　　The Middle Buddha Hall is three bays wide and six rafters deep. It has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with tubular and flat tiles. The wall columns of the hall are built into the walls, and there are no horizontal beams above the column capitals. The front eaves of the main hall have doors in the middle bay and lattice windows in the side bays. Below the eaves, the bracket sets are densely arranged in multiple tiers, forming complex interlocking patterns. The bracket arms extend outwards at steep angles. The hall’s side brackets are arranged along a 5-degree angle line, with corner brackets extending outward and secondary brackets added to the ends. There is one bracket set on each end. The lower tier of bracket sets is composed of multiple layers, forming intricate intersections between the bracket arms and blocks, which are densely arranged and tightly integrated, creating what is called a “dense bracket structure.” The upper tier of bracket sets extends outward, with bracket arms leaning inward, balancing the outward and downward forces of the upper and lower bracket sets. The rear eaves of the hall are similarly constructed with dense bracket work. The roof eaves extend far out, supported by layered bracket arms that balance the weight of the overhanging eaves and the downward thrust, forming a unique structural aesthetic. The interior woodwork is exquisitely crafted, showcasing refined workmanship and distinctive architectural features of the Song and Yuan Dynasties.