Subscribe to free Email Newsletter

The Putuo Zongsheng Temple is located among mountains to the north of the Mountain Resort of Chengde City in Hebei Province. The Putuo Zongsheng Temple, built in the latter period of the reign of Emperor Qianlong, is one of the famous Eight Outer Temples in Chengde City, Hebei Province. In the 35^thyear (1770) of Emperor Qianlong' reign, in order to celebrate his 60^thbirthday and his mother's 80^thbirthday of the following year, the Putuo Zongsheng Temple was set up to receive princes, dukes and the nobility from all the ethics who would come to Chengde to attend the birthday celebration.

The Putuo Zongsheng Temple is the Chinese transliteration for a Tibetan word Potala. It was constructed according to then Potala Palace, which was the center of Chinese Lamaism. Therefore, it is also called the Little Potala Palace. The Putuo Zongsheng Temple, occupying 22 hectares and with more than 40 halls, is the biggest temple among the Eight Outer Temples.

The principal building of the temple is a 25-meter-high red platform with a white stone base of 17 meters high and each side measuring 60 meters. In the center of the platform is the Wanfa Guiyi Hall. Multiple eaves stretch to the summit of the hall. Above are gold-plated steel tiles in the shape of fish scale. On the ridges of the hall stand rows of beasts kissing each other.

After the hall was completed, every time when Emperor Qianlong went on an inspection tour to Chengde, he was bound to worship Buddha here. Around the platform there are also the Luojia Shengjing Hall, the Quanheng Sanjie Pavilion, and the Cihang Pudu Hall, etc. All of them feature steep multiple eaves and gold-plated tiles, forming a solemn and grand complex together with the red platform.