Putuo Zongcheng Temple (Chinese: 普陀宗乘之廟) s a Qing dynasty era Buddhist temple complex located in Chengde (承德), Hebei (河北) province, China. Putuo Zongcheng Temple was built between 1767 and 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong (乾隆) Emperor (1735–1796).
The temple complex covers a surface area of some 220,000 square metres, making it one of the largest in China.
The temple was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet, the residence of the Dalai Lama built a century earlier. Since it was modeled after the Potala palace, the temple represents a fusion of Chinese and Tibetan architectural styles.
Putuo Zongcheng Temple was originally dedicated to the Qianlong Emperor to celebrate his birthday, as well as provide Hebei with a temple of equal size and splendor as the Potala Palace in Lhasa.
Putuo Zongcheng temple served more functions than just Buddhist ceremonies and festivals, it was also the location where the emperor would gather meetings of different ethnic envoys from within the empire.
Most of the halls and pavilions of Putuo Zongcheng Temple are adorned with copper and gold tiled roofs, and look very splendid.
Putuo Zongcheng Temple is part of the ‘Eight Outer Temples’ (外八廟) located in Chengde, which are part of the World Heritage List along with the Mountain Resort (避暑山莊).
From the top of the temple, you can see Mountain Resort and overlook the ‘Little Great Wall’, nice view.
