| Yuanzhao Temple | |
|---|---|
圆照寺 | |
 The Hall of Lokapala at the Yuanzhao Temple. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Prefecture | Wutai County |
| Province | Shanxi |
| Deity | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Country | China |
  Shown within Shanxi | |
| Prefecture | Wutai County |
| Geographic coordinates | 39°00′55″N113°36′11″E / 39.015247°N 113.603132°E /39.015247; 113.603132 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Chinese architecture |
| Date established | Yongle period (1403-1424) |
Yuanzhao Temple (simplified Chinese:圆照寺;traditional Chinese:圓照寺;pinyin:Yuánzhào Sì) is aBuddhist temple located inTaihuai Town ofWutai County,Xinzhou,Shanxi,China.[1]
In the early years ofYongle period (1403-1424) ofMing dynasty (1368-1644), theNepalese Buddhist monk Shilisha (室利沙) came to China to preach Buddhism. To commemorate him,Xuande Emperor (1399-1435) gave orders to build a Buddhist temple inMount Wutai.[2]
Along the central axis areShanmen,Hall of Four Heavenly Kings,Mahavira Hall and Dugang Hall. There are over 10 halls and rooms on both sides, including wing-room and dormitory.
Shanmen are usually built in a row with a big one in the middle and two small ones on two sides, but the shanmen of Yuanzhao Temple are built in a row with a big one in the middle and four small ones on two sides, so the shanmen are known as the Wuchaomen (五朝门). On both sides of the shanmen there are twoChinese guardian lions. The hall has a width of 26 metres (85 ft) and a depth of 18 metres (59 ft), the construction area is 495 square metres (5,330 sq ft).[3]
TheMaitreya Buddha and Four Heavenly Kings' statues are enshrined in theHall of Four Heavenly Kings. They are the easternDhṛtarāṣṭra, the southernVirūḍhaka, the westernVirūpākṣa, and the northernVaiśravaṇa. Inside the hall, two plaques with Chinese couplet are hung on the two side pillars. It says "出则弘称，六度化七趣，同归正党；人以德量，三脱疑四圣，共证泥洹".[3] The hall has a width of 19.8 metres (65 ft) and a depth of 13 metres (43 ft). Under the eaves is a plaque written byQianlong Emperor (1735-1796) in theQing dynasty (1644-1911).
TheMahavira Hall is the second hall and main hall in the temple. In the middle is the statue ofSakyamuni, statues ofAmitabha andBhaisajyaguru stand on the left and right sides of Sakyamuni's statue. The statue ofManjushri is placed in front of the statue of Sakyamuni. The statues ofEighteen Arhats stand on both sides of the hall.[3]
The Dugang Hall (都纲殿) is the third hall of the temple for the worship of a statue of the Indian Buddhist monkŚāriputra/Shilisha.[4] The name of Dugang Hall derives from an official position title "Dugang" (都纲) of theLater Qin (384-417), which in charge of Buddhist temples, Buddhist monks and bestowal of office.[3]
The stupa of Shilisha in the backyard of the temple. The height is about 16.67 metres (54.7 ft).[2]
第二座大殿是大雄宝殿，为此寺的正殿，大殿面宽26米，进深18米，占地495平方米重檐歇山顶，无斗拱。