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Donghua Taoist Temple

Near the bustling Jiefangbei CBD is Kaixuan Road, an important channel linking the upper part and the lower part of old Chongqing city. If you keep walking until the turn of the middle section, you will see an ancient building with a hip-and-gable roof and double eaves. Hidden in the noisy city, it is the legendary Donghua Taoist Temple.

Eaves of Donghua Taoist Temple contrast with the surrounding environment.

The oldest existing wooden building in downtown Chongqing

The door plaque with Chinese characters Dong Hua Guan (Donghua Taoist Temple)

The temple, located in No.64 Kaixuan Road, was built in the reign of Kublai Khan, the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). Also, with a history of over 700 years, it is the oldest existing wooden building in downtown Chongqing. The early temple served as the monastery of Taoists of the Dragon Gate Sect of the Quanzhen School. Besides this, both south and north sects of Quanzhen School worship Donghua Dijun, or the Eastern Floriate Emperor, hence the name.

Statue on the end of the eave

Depository of Buddhist Sutra

During the War of Resistance, the government rebuilt the devastated Chongqing city after the bombing. Kaixuan Road passed through the building complex of the temple.

Thus, the Hall of the Jade Emperor (today’s Depository of Buddhist Sutra) left on the upper road. However, the Hall of the Heavenly King stood on the lower part. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a printing factory used the latter one as its production workshop.

The historic building renovation without a single iron nail

Chongqing became a direct-administered municipality of China in 1997. Since then, Chongqing Municipal People’s Government has listed the temple into the first batch of municipal cultural relic protection sites. Moreover, the professional renovation has brought the Depository of Buddhist Sutra back to life.

Details of the Chinese style eaves

Also, documentary records show the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) witnessed the depository’s first general reconstruction. After 300 years, it once again experienced the major repair.

Details of the eaves tile

Through years of hardships and dynasties of renovation, the depository retains the typical architectural characteristics of the Ming and the Qing dynasties. Without any iron nails, it follows the traditional Chinese way of building.

The mortise and tenon joint is widely used in traditional Chinese wooden architecture.

For instance, the mortise and tenon joint, quick lime, glutinous rice starch and hemp thread, such materials are used instead of modern construction technology.

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