Main Buildings of Huangling Temple

The area of Huangling Temple is not very large, but the buildings in Huangling Temple are distributed in special layout. The main buildings of Huangling Temple include temple gate, Emperor Yu Hall, Qu Yuan Hall, and the Hall of Ancestor. Each of them located in four stages platform and the height of each stage is about 20 meters.

Main Buildings of Huangling Temple – Temple Gate

The temple gate built on the platform near to the river, the altitude is 75.56 meters. One can see there are two stone horses before the gate in Song Dynasty. It was named "Laishu Building" before Jiaqing period in Qing Dynasty. In the eighth year of Jiaqing (1803), one officer of Chongqing found the walls in middle hall of Laishu Building was damaged for its long years. Another officer organized people to rebuild the middle hall of Laishu Building as opera stage, and inscribed this event in a tablet which remains in the temple until now.

Main Buildings of Huangling Temple – Emperor Yu Hall

This hall is the main building in remain buildings of Huangling Temple. It was built on the platform higher than the temple gate for 19 meters. It has proved that the hall was rebuilt in the 46th year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty, and repaired for several times in Qing Dynasty. It was greatly repaired in 17th year of Guangxu period, but the main construction is the remains of Ming Dynasty. From the relics, hydrological inscriptions and folk legends, we can see that Emperor Yu Hall was not damaged by great flood. The thirty-six columns in Emperor Yu Hall kept the mark of flood in 1870. In 1985, when Emperor Yu Hall was decorated, two of the columns in northeast part were protected as important hydrological mark.

Main Buildings of Huangling Temple – The Ancestral Hall of Qin Family

This hall was built in Qing Dynasty, but the wing-room has been damaged. The hall includes three rooms, one is light and two are dark; extending 12.23, and 8.7 meters in depth. It is in wooden column-and-tie construction, with blue roofing tile and blue bricks walls.

Main Buildings of Huangling Temple – Qu Yuan Hall

The flood in 1860 didn't reach this hall; but the flood in 1870 submerged the hall for one meter. The hall was built on the platform higher than Emperor Yu Hall for 27 meters. This hall has appeared in Yongzheng Period of Qing Dynasty, and rebuilt in Xianfeng Period and Tongzhi Period. It was damaged in anti-Japanese war period.

Main Buildings of Huangling Temple – The Hall of Ancestor

If the flood in 1870 increased three steps, that is 50cm high; the flood would come into the hall. This hall was built on the platform over 15 meters than Qu Yuan Hall. It is recorded that this hall was built in Ming Dynasty. Many emperors in Ming Dynasty believed in Taoism, so it was greatly damaged.