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Outside
the surrounding wall of the Mountain Resort of Chengde in Hebei
Province, lies an orderly array of eight brilliant and golden
temples. Located east of the Wulie River are the Puren Temple,
the Pule Temple and the Anyuan Temple. To their north and at the
foot of the cliff is the Puning Temple. North of the Mountain
Resort are the Xumifushouzhi Temple, the Putuozongchengzhi Temple
and the Shuxiang Temple. These temples are arrayed around the
Mountain Resort on the eastern and northern sides just like stars
surrounding the moon in a semicircle.
The formation of the Eight Outer Temples around
the Mountain Resort is our miniature motherland. Replicas of the
Sanmoye Temple by the bank of the Yalutsangpo River, the Putala
Palace in the upper Tibet, the Jashilumbu Monastery in the lower
Tibet, and the Guerzha Temple in Yili, representative of China's
southwest and northwest border areas, have appeared here. Shuxiang
Temple on the Wutai Mountain, and the Hall of Arhats in the Anguo
Temple in Haining County, represent Northern and Southern China.
These Temples in Tibetan, Mongolian as well as the Han architectural
styles, are not just a simple imitation, but a new creation. For
example, the Dacheng Tower of the Puning Temple is an imitation
of the main hall of the Sanmoye Temple with the upper story in
Indian style, middle story in the style of inland China and lower
story in Tibetan style. However, the imitated Dacheng Tower here
is all in the style of inland China, except the two sides of the
lower story which retain a little
characteristics of a Tibetan blockhouse, and the five upturned
corner roofs of Sanmoye style. The Xumifushouzhi Temple differs
greatly from the Jashilumbu Monastery, but its red platform, gilded
cupola and the shape are very much in the style of the Monastery.
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