Qutan Temple Renowned For Ming Style Structures

Built in the year 1392 in the course of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Qutan Temple has a past of more than 600 years. Situated 17 kilometers (about 10.56 miles) from Ledu County in the Qinghai Province, it exhibits a collection of some of the best well conserved Ming-style structures in northwest China. The entire temple covers a space of 28,000 square meters, with the building area of around 10,000 square meters. It’s the utmost complete structures of the Ming Dynasty, conserved in Northwest China.

The temple was constructed after sculpting the edifice of the Forbidden City in Beijing, so it is denoted by experts as "the grand palace of the northwest." Its axis runs straight over its mid-section, separating the temple into two equal portions. The temple vaunts for its splendid architecture, valuable cultural relics and big pieces of murals. It has developed into an imperative arena site for religious happenings as well as a traveler destination.

History

Qutan, or Gutama, is the clan title and honorific name of Sakyamuni. Conferring to the ancient record and records of proceedings adorned on the tablet, the Qutan Temple was erected during the Hongwu rule of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang (the first ruler of the Ming Dynasty) titled it as Qutan Temple and chose Lama San Luozang accountable for it in the twenty sixth years (1393) of the Hongwu rule. In the Yongle rule of the Ming Empire, Zhu Di (a monarch of the Ming Line) selected the nephew of San Luozang to be the Enablement Pure Mind Hongji Great Chief, and provided him granges, estates and livestock as supplies to enlarge the temple. The temple was more extended in the Hongxi rule and the Xuande rule.

Attraction

The entire layout of the Qutan temple is alike to the design of the Summer Palace in Beijing. Hence, it’s termed as “the Small Summer Palace”. The entire building is prepared of three courtyards-the anterior courtyard, the central courtyard and the behind courtyard. the King Kong Hall, The temple gate, the Qutan Hall, the Longguo Hall and the Baoguang Hall are organized on the axle wire in turn. These chief buildings slowly rise in harmony with the mountain. the Small Bell, The Yubei Pavilion and Drum Tower, the Pagoda, the Cloister with Wall painting, the Hall for Storing Sutra, the Side Hall, and the Drum Tower and the Big Bell are correspondingly arranged in the two verges of the chief buildings. The Qutan Temple is designed in a fine manner. The halls in diverse elegances, the green attractive drawings, and the humble arches, all show the classic architectural panache of the Ming Dynasty.

Amid these buildings, the Longguo Hall is the most illustrative. It’s the highest and impressive building. It comprises of an area of 912 square meters. It’s constructed on a 2-meter-high stonework platform. The top beams and ridgepoles are imprinted with all types of patterns. The entire building is regal and superb. A lot of ethnic relics are stowed in the Temple and is a great site for tourist attraction.