Chongming Temple in Gaoping City, Shanxi

Located fifteen miles southeast of the downtown area of Gaoping City, at the foot of the sacred Buddha Mountain, facing south with the back to the north. The existing buildings include the mountain gate, bell and drum towers, the central Buddha hall, the rear hall, and two side halls, forming a two-courtyard complex. According to the inscriptions from the second year of the Chunhua period of the Song Dynasty (991) found within the temple, it was established during the Kaibao period of the Northern Song Dynasty (968-975), before the promulgation of the 'Yingzao Fashi' (Building Standards). It has been repaired and maintained through successive dynasties. Except for the central Buddha hall, which is an early Song Dynasty relic, the rest of the buildings were constructed during the Qing Dynasty. The main structure, the central Buddha hall, was built in the fourth year of the Kaibao period of the Northern Song Dynasty (971) and is now in the Song style. The stone platform base is 0.5 meters high. The hall is three bays wide (16.91 meters) and two bays deep (7.61 meters), with a single-eave hipped roof, tubular tile roof surface, and ridge decorated with glazed components. The beam frame consists of six sets of rafters, and the hall originally had a flat ceiling. The 'broken beam' structure is made of two short pieces of the same cross-section and length, which are placed opposite each other. The broken beam is supported by a longitudinal purlin below the seam, and both ends are placed on the rear eave column bracket tails, evenly distributing the roof load to the eave columns. This construction method of using small materials for significant purposes and designing according to the material is a great creation of ancient craftsmen.