Explore Historical Sites: Zhaoming Temple

In the remote mountains lies an ancient temple. The East Tianmu Mountains, just north of the city of Lin'an, has very beautiful scenery and a long history. Its beauty is incomparable in the western Zhejiang. The ancient temple in the mountain is named Zhaoming Temple which was built by Prince Zhaoming, son of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty. It was here that the prince whose name is Xiao Tong, devoted his time to studying Buddhist sutra and compiling the "Selected Works of Zhaoming, " while also editing the "Vajracchedika Sutra." Specifically, Prince Zhaoming edited the "Thirty-Two Sections" of the sutra during his stay in the Tianmu Mountains. Thanks to his efforts, the originally lengthy and difficult-to-understand text was transformed into thirty-two sections that were easier to read and understand. 

The temple underwent renovations during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The current layout features buildings facing south, roughly in a square shape. The Moon Pond, front hall, and rear hall are all aligned on a vertical axis, and the original mountain gate and walls have been demolished.

The front hall is five rooms wide with two corridors, and three rooms long. The middle room has a pillars-and-beams (tailiang) structure while the east and west side rooms have a pillars-and-transverse-tie-beams ( chuandou) structure. The five beams are joined by front and rear double-step beams and the roof is a tent-shaped canopy with bracket supports. The eave brackets are carved with stories and images of Prince Zhaoming.

The main hall is five rooms wide with one corridor, and the roof is supported by five beams - two front double-step and two rear heavy double-step. The front lower-level roof is a tent-shaped canopy and the front columns of this level are rectangular stone pillars. The middle room has a pillars-and-beams (tailiang) structure while the two side rooms have a pillars-and-transverse-tie-beams ( chuandou) structure. The eave brackets are supported by arches, and the front pillars of the eaves all have decorative panels in a lattice-like pattern.

The interior of the Zhaoming Temple features exquisite craftsmanship, with thick beams and columns and grand, magnificent halls. It is now a cultural protected at the municipal level in Hangzhou.