Putuo zongcheng Temple - Little Potala Palace

Putuo zongcheng Temple

Putuo zongcheng Temple is the biggest and the most magnificent building

in Eight Outer Temples of Chengde city. It was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet, the old sanctuary of the Dalai Lama built a century earlier, so the Putuo Zongcheng Temple also known as the 'Little Potala Palace'.

It's listed as the World Cultural Heritage site with the Mountain Resort in 1994. Today, the temple remains a site of tourism and local festivities. Occupying an area of 220,000 square meters and with more than 40 halls, it is one of the largest temples in China. Many of its halls and pavilions are adorned with copper and gold tiled roofs, adding to the splendor of the site.

a brief history

Putuo Zongzheng Temple was built between 1767 and 1771 by Emperor Qianlong to celebrate his 60th birthday and his mother's 80th birthday 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.

Actually, the Putuo Zongcheng temple served more functions than just Buddhist ceremony and festival, however. It was also the location that the emperor would gather meetings of different ethnic envoys found throughout the empire. The location served as a peaceful getaway in contrast to the bustling life of the capital Beijing, as well as complimented the nearby hunting grounds that the emperor would enjoy with his hosts.

>> Eight Outer Temples

Outside the palace walls of the Mountain Resort, to the north and west, lies the Eight Outer Temples. They were built between 1713 and 1780, many of them are in Tibetan style. Actually, 'Eight Outer Temples' is a collective name given to 12 temples. These temples were administered by Lifan Yuan, an administrative department for the affairs of ethnic minorities such as the Mongolians and Tibetans, so different combinations of architectural style could be seen. Together with the Mountain Resort of Chengde, the Eight Outer Temples was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Now six temples are open to the tourists, which Putuo Zongchengzhi Temple, Puning Temple, Xumi Fushouzhi Temple, Pule Temple, Anyuan Temple, and Puyou Temple. Each shows unique features and special appeal. Of the eight temples that surround Chengde, two of the most famous are Puning Temple and Putuo Zongcheng Temple.