Ming Buddhist Temple Architecture

Timeline

1. 1368–1400Nanjing · ChinaIn the early Ming, with the capital at Nanjing, an edict ordered the repair of temples throughout the realm; surviving structures such as Linggu Temple reflect the initial taking shape of early Ming official-style timber construction and hall-axis planning, providing a paradigm for capital temple construction after the relocation of the capital.
2. 1441–1450Beijing · ChinaDuring the Zhengtong and Jingtai reigns, the court repeatedly allocated funds to repair capital temples such as Dajue Temple and Biyun Temple; the double-eaved hip-and-gable roofs and glazed-tile decoration of the main halls became increasingly mature, reflecting the mid-fifteenth-century integration of Buddhist architecture and imperial ritual space.
3. 1451–1600Mount Wutai · ChinaMing temple architectural paradigms spread to Jiangnan Chan monasteries and the Manjusri sacred sites of Mount Wutai; temple complexes such as Xiantong Temple continued to expand after the fifteenth century, with Han Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist architectural elements coexisting within the same mountain range.