Location: Jinghong City, Yunnan Province
(JIinghong City, Yuman Prov.)
Structure: Wooden structure
Type: Buddhist temple
It was built in the 7th century
The Buddhism practiced in ethnic minority areas such as the Dai in Yunnan Province is the superior Buddhism of the Pali language family, which was introduced from Myanmar in the middle of the 7th century and is called Southern Buddhism. At that time, Buddhist scriptures were only heard by word of mouth, and no temples were built.
It was not until the 16th century during the Ming Long Qing period that the monastic community sent by the Burmese king brought Buddha statues and began to build temples and pagodas in the Jinghong area. Located in the southeast of Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna General Buddhist Temple is divided according to status and rank, and is the most representative Meng-level general Buddhist temple that has been preserved so far.
In the past, the rulers of the Xishuangbanna region and the toastmasters used to worship Buddha here. The total area of the Buddhist temple is more than 3,000 square meters. The main building of the main Buddhist temple is the main hall, which sits west facing east, and has a single eaves and a single slope with a mountain-style roof shape.
The nave consists of 12 thick columns and two 8-metre-long middle pillars to form a beam-lifting roof truss. The hall of the Buddha hall is juxtaposed with the drum room, forming an open space with a golden interior. The stupas, ordination halls and monks' residences of the General Buddha Temple are beautifully decorated and full of solemn and solemn religious atmosphere.