Brief / profile
The Temple of the Potaraka Doctrine (also called Putuozongcheng Temple locally) is the largest temple of the Eight Outer Temples in Chengde City. It also enjoys the name of “Little Potala Palace” since it imitated the Potala Palace built a century ago in Tibet. Occupying an area of 220,000 square meters, this temple is one of the largest in China. The Temple of the Potaraka Doctrine along with the other seven Outer Temples has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Location
This temple stands in the north of the Chengde Mountain Resort in Chengde City, Hebei Province.

Function or value in the past
It was originally constructed to commemorate Qianlong’s birthday in the Qing Dynasty. Besides, Buddhist ceremonies and festivals were also held here in the past.

Construction
With buildings of Tibetan and Han styles, The Temple of Potaraka Doctrine has a tall and magnificent entrance gate similar to a city gate tower.
The outstanding main building includes a courtyard with the Golden Hall which is decorated with copper tiles. In addition, the surrounding galleries display Buddhist works of art.

History
This temple was constructed between 1767 and 1771 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty and completed in 4 years.

Admission fee.
The admission fee for this attraction is RMB 42 in high seasons and RMB 32 in low seasons.

Note
It’s open to the public from 8:00 to 18:00.