Foguang Monastery  佛光寺

Building Information

Foguangsi is a Buddhist monastery located in Doucun, northern Shanxi Province. First established during the Northern Wei dynasty, the monastery lies in a remote pocket on the outskirts of the south range of the Wutai Mountains. Extant timber buildings are from the late Tang dynasty reconstruction and after. It was rediscovered in June 1937 by an investigation team led by architectural historian Liang Sicheng (1901-1972). The earliest structures located in the monastery are the Great East Hall (857), a brick pagoda on the building’s south side (ca. 6th century), and the Manjusri Hall (1137). There are also two stone dharani pillars, one in front of the East Great Hall (857), and another in the courtyard in front of the Manjusri Hall (877). 1

No buildings from the Northern Wei dynasty are extant at the Foguangsi Monastery site, but research on the site has shown it was established during that time. It is believed that the original buildings of the monastery (including a three-story pavilion dedicated to the bodhisattva Maitreya) were destroyed during the “Huichang Persecution” in 845 when Emperor Wuzong (r. 840-46) ordered the suppression of Buddhism. 1

External Links

Wikipedia (in Chinese)

百度百科