Puguang Temple in Zhangjiajie

Puguang Temple Ancient Architectural Complex (普光禅寺古建筑群), also known as Baiyang Ancient Temple (白羊古刹) and Puguang Temple (普光寺), is located in People’s Square (人民广场), Yongding District (永定区), Zhangjiajie City (张家界市), Hunan Province (湖南省). It is an ancient architectural relic dating back from the Ming (明) to Qing (清) dynasties.

The entire structure of Puguang Temple adopts traditional dougong (斗拱) and caisson (藻井) designs, covering an area of approximately 11,060 square meters. The temple complex consists of the Grand Mountain Gate (大山门), Second Mountain Gate (二山门), Bell and Drum Tower (钟鼓楼), Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿), Arhat Hall (罗汉殿), Guanyin Hall (观音殿), Jade Emperor Pavilion (玉皇阁), Gaozhen Temple (高贞观), Martial Temple (武庙), and Archway (牌坊), forming an integrated architectural layout of temples, Taoist temples, ancestral halls, archways, and pavilions.

Inside the temple, statues of Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼), Guanyin (观世音), the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), Manjushri (文殊菩萨), Samantabhadra (普贤菩萨), the Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王), the Eighteen Arhats (十八罗汉), the Three Pure Ones (三清) — Yuan Shi Tian Zun (元始天尊), Ling Bao Tian Zun (灵宝天尊), and Tai Shang Lao Jun (太上老君) — and Guan Yu (关公) are worshipped.

The Puguang Temple Ancient Architectural Complex showcases architectural styles from the Song (宋), Yuan (元), Ming (明), and Qing (清) dynasties, integrating Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian cultures. As a crystallization of ancient Chinese wisdom, Puguang Temple holds significant research value in both architecture and religion.

On March 5, 2013, Puguang Temple Ancient Architectural Complex was announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国务院).

Basic Information

• Chinese Name: 普光禅寺古建筑群

• Location: People’s Square (人民广场), Yongding District (永定区), Zhangjiajie City (张家界市), Hunan Province (湖南省)

• Historical Period: Ming to Qing Dynasties (明至清)

• Protection Level: Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units (第七批全国重点文物保护单位)

• Approval Number: 7-1238-3-536

• Approval Authority: State Council of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国务院)

Historical Evolution

In the 11th year of the Yongle reign (1413) during the Ming Dynasty (明永乐十一年), Puguang Temple (普光禅寺) was built in Zhangjiajie (张家界). The temple belonged to the Linji school (临济宗), one of the five major sects of Chinese Buddhism, originally overseeing more than 80 Buddhist temples and over 200 monks in the region, with more than 50 resident monks.

In the 17th year of the Guangxu reign (1891) during the Qing Dynasty (清光绪十七年), the Second Mountain Gate (二山门) was renovated.

From 1972 to 1977, Yonghong Primary School (永红小学) was set up inside Puguang Temple (普光禅寺).

In 2014, Puguang Temple underwent restoration.

In 2003, Master Huaifan (怀梵法师), the abbot of Sheng’an Ancient Temple (圣安古寺) in Yueyang (岳阳), Hunan Province (湖南省), became the abbot of Puguang Temple (普光禅寺). Master Huaifan made great efforts to seek support from various parties, leading to the temple’s renovation. In March 2004, high-ranking monks and Buddhist dignitaries from different regions were invited to hold a Buddha statue consecration ceremony at Puguang Temple — the first large-scale Buddhist event since the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the first of its kind in Zhangjiajie City (张家界市).

Architectural Layout

Puguang Temple (普光禅寺), also known as Baiyang Ancient Temple (白羊古刹) or Puguang Monastery (普光寺), is a key part of the Baiyang Ancient Temple complex (白羊古刹建筑群). It is located with Tianmen Mountain (天门山) in front and Fude Mountain (福德山), also known as Ziwu Terrace (子五台), at the back.

The entire temple complex adopts traditional dougong (斗拱) and caisson ceiling (藻井) structures, covering an area of about 11,060 square meters. It consists of the First Mountain Gate (大山门), Second Mountain Gate (二山门), Bell and Drum Tower (钟鼓楼), Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿), Arhat Hall (罗汉殿), Guanyin Hall (观音殿), Jade Emperor Pavilion (玉皇阁), Gaozhen Temple (高贞观), Martial Temple (武庙), and Archway (牌坊), forming a grand ancient architectural complex that integrates temples, Taoist shrines, ancestral halls, archways, and pavilions.

Inside the temple, there are statues of Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼), Guanyin (观世音), the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), Manjushri (文殊菩萨), Samantabhadra (普贤菩萨), the Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王), the Eighteen Arhats (十八罗汉), the “Three Pure Ones” (三清), referring to the Primeval Lord of Heaven (元始天尊), the Lord of Spiritual Treasure (灵宝天尊), and the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord (太上老君), along with the statue of Guan Yu (关公).

Main Buildings

First Mountain Gate (大山门)

Above the First Mountain Gate, four golden Chinese characters “普光禅寺” (“Puguang Chan Temple”) are prominently displayed against a red lacquered background, radiating an antique charm.

On the left and right side doors, couplets read:

• “慈云普护” — “The clouds of compassion offer universal protection.”
• “觉路光明” — “The path to enlightenment shines brightly.”

These inscriptions convey the Buddhist teachings of compassion and enlightenment. The First Mountain Gate is a three-bay hard-gable structure, with the gable walls forming an arched shape. The central entrance protrudes into a hipped roof style, combining hipped and hard-gable roof designs.

Second Mountain Gate (二山门)

Behind the First Mountain Gate stands the Second Mountain Gate, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings (天王殿). This is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Puguang Temple. The Second Mountain Gate features a beam-lifting structure (抬梁式建筑) with three bays and a single-eave hipped roof. Under the eaves, there are four bracket sets (斗拱), and the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王) were recently re-sculpted.

Between the Second Mountain Gate and the Mahavira Hall is a spacious courtyard. The original Bell and Drum Towers (钟鼓楼) were destroyed but have been replaced by octagonal double-eaved pavilions (八角重檐攒尖亭) rebuilt after 1982.

Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿)

The Mahavira Hall is the core building of Puguang Temple, with a single-eave hipped roof. Above the main entrance, there is a large golden plaque inscribed with “大雄宝殿” (“Mahavira Hall”), written by the late Zhao Puchu (赵朴初), a former president of the Buddhist Association of China and a renowned calligrapher.

In front of the main hall, a pair of golden coiling dragon carvings (盘龙立雕) stand on the columns.

The hall’s east and west walls feature one of Puguang Temple’s marvels: “Moonlight Lantern” (月点灯). Two finely polished stone steles reflect moonlight, illuminating the hall in silver radiance when the full moon rises — giving rise to the legend of the “Moonlight Lantern.”

Another marvel, “Wind-Swept Ground” (风扫地), is also found in the Mahavira Hall. Due to its unique design, a mysterious breeze constantly blows through the hall year-round, keeping the ground spotless.

On either side of the hall, there are two pools: the Water Pool (水池) and the Fire Pool (火池). The Water Pool never dries up, even during droughts, while the Fire Pool remains bone-dry, even during heavy rains — a curious natural phenomenon.

The caisson ceiling (藻井) of the hall is decorated with paintings of birds and flowers.

Water and Fire Pools (水火二池)

Behind the Mahavira Hall, the east and west sides feature the Water Pool (水池) and the Fire Pool (火池).

• The Water Pool remains filled year-round, never overflowing or drying up.
• The Fire Pool remains dry regardless of rainfall, never holding a single drop of water.

Behind the hall lies the Dragon Eye Well (龙眼井), known for its clear, transparent water believed to have healing properties. Curiously, despite the well being at a higher elevation than the pools, its water never seeps into them.

In ancient times, lacking scientific explanations, locals attributed this phenomenon to mystical forces.

Arhat Hall (罗汉堂)

Connected to the Mahavira Hall by a corridor, the Arhat Hall forms a “工”-shaped layout with interlocking roofs, creating a complex yet elegant design.

The hall contains 43 wooden brackets (斗拱) in the original Ming Dynasty style, featuring the distinctive “curved columns and bent beams without slanting roofs” (曲柱弯梁屋不斜). Remarkably, these brackets are joined entirely with wooden pegs, without using a single iron nail.

On the lower level, there are wooden statues of the Eighteen Arhats (十八罗汉), while the upper level, called the Circular Sound Pavilion (圆音楼), houses statues of the Twenty-Four Devas (二十四诸天), each with unique expressions and dynamic poses.

The Circular Sound Pavilion, extending north from the Arhat Hall, once served as a storage area for scriptures. Viewed head-on, it appears to have one roof layer, but from an angle, three tiers of eaves emerge.

The wooden structure features a caisson ceiling connected to the Arhat Hall. At the intersection of the roof ridges, two wooden dragon heads with hanging beads are designed to channel rainwater, causing the beads to sway like “dragons playing with pearls” — a clever combination of aesthetics and functionality.

Guanyin Hall (观音堂)

The Guanyin Hall is a five-bay building with a hipped roof. It is the final hall along the central axis of the temple complex.

Ruins of Wenchang Shrine (文昌祠遗址)

To the left of Puguang Temple once stood the Wenchang Shrine (文昌祠), built during the late Qing Dynasty. Though the main shrine has been destroyed, the entrance gate and two memorial archways remain.

The archways, built during the Jiaqing (嘉庆) and Daoguang (道光) periods, are engraved with classical stories of scholarly diligence, such as:

• “Zhu Maichen Carrying Firewood to Study” (朱买臣负薪读书)
• “Li Mi Hanging Books on Ox Horns” (李密牛角挂书)
• “Kuang Heng Boring a Hole in the Wall for Light” (匡衡凿壁偷光)
• “Che Yin Using Fireflies for Illumination” (车胤囊萤奋读)

Martial Temple (武庙)

Adjacent to the Wenchang Shrine stands the Martial Temple (武庙), also known as the Guan Emperor Temple (关帝庙).

The main hall houses a statue of Guan Yu (关公) seated in the center, flanked by Zhou Cang (周仓) holding a blade. The temple also contains a stage for performances, as well as side halls, a bell tower, and a drum tower.

Historical and Cultural Significance

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Religious Activities

From the 8th year to the 32nd year of the Republic of China (1919–1943), six Dragon Hua assemblies were held at Puguang Temple (普光禅寺). Nearly a thousand followers from Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou provinces took vows at the temple, earning it the reputation as a famous Buddhist temple in Jiangnan (江南).

Historical Legends

It is said that more than 500 years ago, one day, the commander of the Yongding (永定) military district, Yong Jian (雍简), saw a group of white goats on the hillside and decided to chase them on horseback. However, the goats suddenly burrowed into the ground. Surprised, he ordered people to dig, and they uncovered a pile of shiny silver. He reported the discovery to the Yongle Emperor, who was very pleased. The emperor ordered the construction of a temple on the site, naming it Puguang Temple (普光禅寺). The plaque above the temple’s main gate reads “Baiyang Ancient Temple” (白羊古刹). Over time, other ancient buildings such as Songliang Academy (嵩梁书院), City God Temple (城隍庙), and Confucian Temple (文庙) were built in the area, collectively referred to as Baiyang Ancient Temple.

Cultural Relics and Value

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The ancient architectural complex of Puguang Temple (普光禅寺) combines the architectural styles of the Song (宋), Yuan (元), Ming (明), and Qing (清) dynasties. It integrates Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian cultures, representing the wisdom of ancient Chinese people. It holds significant value for research in both architecture and religion.

Protection Measures

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On March 5, 2013, the ancient architectural complex of Puguang Temple (普光禅寺) was included by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China as a national key cultural heritage protection unit (the 7th batch).

Tourist Information

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Geographic Location

The ancient architectural complex of Puguang Temple (普光禅寺) is located at People’s Square (人民广场), Yongding District (永定区), Zhangjiajie City (张家界市), Hunan Province (湖南省).

Transportation Information

Public Transportation: Take bus 1, 6, or 7 to the People’s Square (人民广场) station.

By Car: Drive along Dayong Road (大庸路) and Yingbin Road (迎宾路) to reach the destination.