Foguang Temple
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Foguang Temple ( Chinese: 佛光寺) is a national preserved location of historical relics. It is located in Foguang New Village, 30 kilometers away from Wutai County, Shanxi Province of China. Due to its long history and precious Buddhist historical and cultural relics, it is called "Asian Buddhist Light" (亚洲佛光). The major hall in the temple is the "East Grand Hall", built in Dazhong 11th year (AD 857), Tang Dynasty. According to architectural chronicle, it is the second earliest preserved timber-structured buildings nationwide, only later than the major hall in Nanchan Temple in Wutai County, built in Jianzhong 3rd year (AD 782), Tang Dynasty. It's architecture, sculpture, frescos and mementos of Tang Dynasty are called "Four Excellences", due to their significant historical and artistic values.
Its main hall is ordinary-looking and not large, but it was called "First national treasure of China" by famous architect, Liang Sicheng, because it brushed the claim made by Japanese scholars off that "No timber-structured buildings built in Tang Dynasty and earlier exist in China's land nowadays."
