Foguang Temple

Foguang Temple sits in Foguang Village, Doucun Town, Wutai County, Xinzhou, Shanxi, China, about 5 km from Doucun and outside the main Wutai Shan scenic area. Its East Hall, built in 857 during the Tang dynasty, is one of the oldest and most important surviving timber buildings in China and was identified in the 1930s by the architectural historians Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin. The temple climbs a hillside in terraces, so that the East Hall stands on the highest platform, facing out over the courtyards below. Inside the hall, visitors see 35 Tang-era painted clay statues, wall paintings and ink inscriptions on the beams, along with a large bracket-set system that supports the wide overhanging roof. Other structures include the Manjusri Hall of the Jin dynasty and a Wei-era brick pagoda. A visit usually takes about an hour, though architecture enthusiasts may stay longer to study the bracket sets and the carvings. The best photo angles are from the lower courtyard looking up at the East Hall and from the terrace beside it, with morning light striking the facade. The temple is remote, so crowds are small at most times, and it is rarely busy outside holidays. It is reached by taxi or chartered car from Taihuai or Doucun, and many visitors combine it with Nanchan Temple on the same day. Interior lighting is dim, so a torch or camera with good low-light capability helps.