Xingguo Temple

Xingguo Temple is located east of Yeting Mountain Village, Caofan Town, Zhangqiu City. Facing south with its back to the north, the temple retains a relatively intact layout. The front entrance is the main gate, flanked by two side gates. Inside the courtyard stand auxiliary halls on both sides, with the Mahavira Hall situated on the northern end.

The main gate spans three bays and features a single-eave gable roof covered with black tiles. An arched gateway is built in the central bay, and the horizontal stone plaque above the gate bears three large Chinese characters: Xingguo Temple.

The Mahavira Hall stretches across five bays with a depth of four bays, adopting a post-and-lintel wooden frame structure. Twelve pillars support the hall, among which eight are wooden and four are made of sandstone. One stone pillar bears an inscription: "Erected on the auspicious third day of the third lunar month in the Xinwei year, the 16th year of the Jiaqing reign", followed by the name "Zhang Wei from Shenquanli, Liquan Township, Zhangqiu County, Jinan Prefecture". This records a renovation project.

In the centre of the hall stands a bluestone Buddha statue carved from a single block of stone. Standing upright, it is approximately six metres tall with a girth of three arm spans. The Buddha has spiral hair tufts and a plump face, with hands forming the preaching mudra. The sculpture is remarkably lifelike.

There are three auxiliary side halls each on the east and west sides. All are brick-stone-wood buildings with gable roofs.

The temple and the underground area to its east contain Sui and Tang Dynasty cultural deposits over one metre thick. Judging from the carving style of the Buddha statue in the main hall, the sculpture dates back to the Tang Dynasty. The brackets and beam frame of the Mahavira Hall also display Song Dynasty architectural features. The existing buildings of the temple were constructed in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

On December 7, 2006, the People’s Government of Shandong Province designated Xingguo Temple as a Provincial Major Cultural Relic Protection Unit.