Dougong in the Nanchan Temple

Dougong in the Nanchan Temple

Bracket system; wooden structure

According to an inscription on a beam, the Great Buddha Hall of Nanchan Temple was first built in 782 CE during the Tang Dynasty. It escaped destruction during the Buddhist purges of 845, perhaps due to its isolated location in the mountains. Another inscription on a beam indicates that the hall was renovated in 1086 of the Song Dynasty, and during that time all but four of the original square columns were replaced with round columns. In the 1950s the building was rediscovered by architectural historians, and in 1961 it was recognized as China's oldest standing timber-frame building. Just five years later in 1966, the building was damaged in an earthquake, and during the renovation period in the 1970s, historians got a chance to study the building piece by piece.

Content of the photo is about the dougong in the Nanchan temple.

Constructetd: 782 ad (tang dynasty)

Is part of the component of the Nanchan Temple

Period: emperor dezong of tang dynasty, the ninth emperor in tang dynasty.