Eight Outer Temples is the temple for praying happiness and longevity. The temple lay out in the shape of numerous stars surrounding the moon in a semicircle to symbolize the national unification and minority solidification. This construction complex is the combination of the Han, Mongolian and Tibetan architecture, reflecting their cultures and listed as the world cultural heritage site in 1994.
Location of Eight Outer Temples
This temple complex is located to the north and east of Chengde Summer Resort in Chengde, Hebei Province. Among these temples, the Puren Temple, Pule Temple and Anyuan Temple are located in the east of the Wulie River; to their north is the Puning Temple. Xumifushou Temple, the Putuozongcheng Temple and the Shuxiang Temple are in the north of the Summer Resort.
How it got the name
The temples stand in the north of the Great Wall and eight of them were administered directly by Lifan Court in Qing dynasty, thus it got this name.
Eight Outer Temple's Function or value in the past
These temples were the emperor's summer residence and also used by the upper classes and dignitaries of the west and north minorities to have an audience with the emperor in the Qing Dynasty.
The history of Eight Outer Temples
They were originally constructed in 1713 during the period of the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty and completed in 1780 after 67 years' effort. Among them, the Puren Temple and Boshan Temple were built during the period of Kangxi's reign and the other ten were finished during the time under Qianlong's rule.
The culture of Eight Outer Temples
These temples were mainly used by the upper classes and dignitaries of the west and north minorities in China to have an audience with the emperor. The architecture mainly built in three manners: Tibetan style, Han style and the mixture of the two. These ornate majestic and resplendent temples are sharp contrasts to the palace complex of its primitive simplicity with green bricks and grey tiles.
The Eight Temples are ethereal examples of combination of the Han building style and Tibetan building art. Putuozongcheng Temple, largest one in scale, was a replica of the Potala Palace in Tibet and is nicknamed "the Little Potala".
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