Subscribe to free Email Newsletter

The Baoguo Temple lies in a valley of Lingshan Mountain in the suburb of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. The temple is built on a slope. Arranged along the central axis that extends northward are the Heavenly King Hall, the Main Hall, the Hall of Goddess of Mercy and the Sutra Attic, with the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower on the two wings and other buildings. It has the flavor of traditional Chinese architecture and shows a distinction between different structures. In front of the hall, there are springs and ponds, rippling all year round. Following the steps from the foot of the mountain, you can reach the Baoguo Temple.  

The Main Hall, built in the 6^thyear (1013) during the Dazhong Xiangfu reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), is three bays in width and depth, and is in the layout of a vertical rectangle to let more disciples express their homage. In the front, three sunk panels are ingeniously installed, demonstrating the fine and rare architectural techniques at that time. The sunk panels are at a low position, while the place for the statue of Buddha is high and spacious, forming striking contrast. This well sets off an atmosphere of solemnity and superiority of the Buddha.

The Main Hall employs wooden square blocks inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam in several places, along the outer eaves, on columns and crossbeams. The columns in the hall are made with ingenuity, that around a relatively small column, some long curved pieces of wood are wrapped to make the column in the shape of arris. In this way, it not only saves materials, but also makes the appearance look more gorgeous. The hall refrains from using flashy ornaments and focuses on its practicality. It can effectively reduce damages caused by earthquakes.

With a history of more than 960 years, the temple is a rare example of wooden structure construction in the south area of the Yangtze River. The fact that it is perfectly preserved under the rainy and moist conditions shows forcefully its reasonable design and superb techniques. It serves as a significant evidence for the research on wooden-structure constructions in the early period of the Northern Song Dynasty.  

The temple is surrounded in secluded mountains and dense forests as well as picturesque scenery.