Yuanqi Temple, Religious temple in Lucheng District, China
Yuanqi Temple stands on the summit of Fenghuang Hill on the west bank of the Zhuozhang River in Xin'an Village, Huangniuti Township, Lucheng District. Its walled precinct measures 22.3 m north-south by 32.7 m east-west, 729 square metres in all, facing south. The surviving buildings are a pavilion, the Mahavira Hall, a side hall and the Qinglong Pagoda; the hall and pagoda are Song-era, the rest Ming and Qing.
Yuanqi Temple was first built in the sixth year of the Tang Tianbao era (747). Its main hall and the Qinglong Pagoda date to the Song dynasty, while the other halls are Ming and Qing constructions. On 25 June 2001 it was listed in the fifth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, category ancient architecture, no. 5-276, dated to the Song.
The name Yuanqi means "origin" or "source," and the temple is also known by its pagoda, the Qinglong Baota (Green Dragon Treasure Pagoda), or Dasheng Baota. The octagonal brick pagoda has iron figures at each corner holding iron chains that anchor the structure. The temple sits on Phoenix Hill on the west bank of the Zhuozhang River, near the border with Pingshun County.
The temple stands on a narrow summit on the west bank of the Zhuozhang River, northeast of Xin'an Village in Huangniuti Township, and the walled precinct measures only 22.3 m north-south by 32.7 m east-west. The ground is uneven and the halls are reached by steps, so sturdy shoes help. The site lies near the PingShun Dayun Temple and Tiantaian in neighbouring Pingshun County, allowing a combined visit.
The brick eaves of the octagonal, seven-storey Qinglong Pagoda, built in 1087, carry dense imitation-wood bracket sets in brick, and an iron figure at each of the eight corners pulls an iron chain to brace the structure.
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