Architecturally, the hall is highly innovative. Horizontal beams form a square frame on the upper part, supported by six large diagonal beams on four sides to bear the weight of the roof framework. The ingenious and original structural design makes this the sole surviving masterpiece of Ming architecture in China. Empty scripture cabinets line the east and west sides of the hall. They once housed the unique treasure of China: the sole surviving manuscript of the Zhaocheng Jin Tripitaka, which is now preserved in the National Library of China.

The Vairocana Hall, also known as the Rear Main Hall, was rebuilt in the 10th year of the Hongzhi reign (1497 AD). It stretches five bays from east to west and six rafters from front to rear, built in the hip-roof palace style covered with glazed cylindrical tiles. Three Tathagata Buddha statues over four metres tall are enshrined inside: Vairocana in the middle, Medicine Buddha of the Eastern Pure Land to the right, and Amitabha Buddha of the Western Paradise to the left. The archaic statues have vivid facial features and insightful eyes known as “Wisdom Eyes”. Between the Buddhas stand four major Bodhisattvas: Guanyin, Manjushri, Samantabhadra and Ksitigarbha, all standing gracefully with solemn expressions. A bronze Amitabha statue sits on the Buddha platform, surrounded by one thousand small bronze Buddhas, commonly called the Thousand-Buddha Platform. Unfortunately, all one thousand small statues were looted and destroyed by Japanese invaders during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

On both sides of the hall stand the Four Heavenly Kings: Dhrtarastra, Virudhaka, Virupaksa and Vaishravana. Buddhist scriptures record that they guard mountains, rivers and forests under their jurisdiction and can summon wind and rain. Thirty-five iron Buddha statues are placed in wooden shrines along the walls, and fifty-three Buddha figures are painted on the three wall surfaces. The mural of the Twelve Enlightened Ones on the rear wall, finished in the 8th year of the Zhengde reign (1513 AD), features bold, smooth lines and magnificent compositions. Only four main columns stand in the hall. Two horizontal girders over seventeen metres long span nearly five bays to support the roof, adopting the pioneering slant beam structure rarely seen elsewhere. The whole building bears striking similarities to Yuan-dynasty architecture.

Dozens of stone steles stand around the hall, including one inscribed by Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty: Crane soaring, snake winding, the momentum never fades;

Even ghosts marvel at the Buddhist scriptures from five Indian regions.

Dragons coil around the Buddhist temple amid steep peaks;

Phoenix plumes fold after spreading their wings.

True enlightenment aligns with the sage’s Dao;

Demons are sealed with no escape.

Confucian scholars may fail to understand;

Foreign monks with pierced ears nod knowingly. These inscriptions provide valuable historical records for studying the evolution of Guangsheng Temple.

To the west of the Vairocana Hall lies the Ksitigarbha Hall, commonly called the Ten Kings Hall. According to stele records, it was built in the Ming Dynasty. The glazed dragon ridge on the roof is a typical representative work of Ming architecture. On the one-metre-high Buddha platform sit the Ten Yama Kings governing purgatory, with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the centre. The hall is filled with over forty suspended sculptures of pavilions and Bodhisattvas of various sizes. The hall underwent renovation in the 32nd year of the Kangxi reign (1693 AD).

The Lower Temple nestles at the foot of Huoshan Mountain, facing the Huo Spring. It sits facing south, only one kilometre away from the Upper Temple. Restoration steles record that the Lower Temple was first built in the first year of the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty (713 AD). More than fifty years later, Guo Ziyi, Prince of Fenyang, petitioned the imperial court to renovate and expand the temple. A devastating earthquake struck in the 7th year of the Dade reign of the Yuan Dynasty (1303 AD). A stele inside reads: On the sixth day of the eighth lunar month, the whole Hedong region suffered a violent earthquake. Canals collapsed and watercourses were blocked.

The temple suffered severe damage. Large-scale reconstruction was carried out in the 2nd year of the Zhizheng reign (1309 AD), followed by further renovations in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Five halls of different sizes remain today.

The Lower Temple complex includes the Mountain Gate, Front Buddha Hall, Main Buddha Hall and side annexes.

The Mountain Gate, also known as the Heavenly King Hall, is a well-preserved Yuan-dynasty building spanning three bays with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The original statues of the Four Heavenly Kings were destroyed during the war against Japanese aggression. The building adopts arched tie beams and horizontal girders. Double-tiered awning roofs are extended from the front and rear eaves, resembling a multi-storey pavilion, with no columns under the eaves. The beam frame combines scientific rationality with artistic craftsmanship. The extended awnings and hanging columns are extremely rare among Yuan buildings, offering precious physical evidence for architectural research. The famous architectural historian Liang Sicheng once commented: People only valued the Buddhist scriptures preserved here, yet few noticed the extraordinary architectural uniqueness of Guangsheng Temple.

The Front Buddha Hall was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and ruined by the Dade earthquake. It was reconstructed in the 8th year of the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty (1472 AD). The hall spans five bays and has a cylindrical-tile overhanging gable roof. Large slant beams form an A-shaped frame, proving that ancient Chinese architects mastered the lever principle long ago. With bold structural design and economical use of timber, it stands as a brilliant achievement of Ming architectural art. More than ten original statues inside were completely destroyed in the war.

The Main Buddha Hall, or Rear Hall, dates back to the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. After the 1303 earthquake, it was rebuilt in 1309 AD. It stretches seven bays wide and eight rafters deep, topped with a single-eave overhanging gable roof. Statues of the Buddhas of Three Ages — Vairocana, Medicine Buddha and Amitabha — together with Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas are enshrined inside. The statues carry distinct oriental artistic features and were made when the hall was first constructed.

The four walls were once fully covered with murals. In 1928, American colluders together with local bullies stole most murals abroad under the pretext of temple renovation. The looted artworks are now kept at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas, USA. Only a 16-square-metre fragment on the upper eastern wall survives, depicting the scene of “Guanyin and Sudhana’s Fifty-Three Visits to Enlightenment Masters”. The painting features meticulous brushwork, grand scenes and vivid lifelike figures, finished when the hall was built. This surviving fragment was removed for proper preservation in the cultural relics warehouse of Guangsheng Temple during restoration in 1971.