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South Putuo Temple

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South Putuo Temple is an ancient temple which is very famous in Xiamen. It is named Southern Putuo because of its location near the south of Putuo Mountain, one of the four great Buddhist places in Zhoushan.

Southern Putuo temple has a grand scale with a total area of 25.8 hectares and a building area of 21270 square meters. Sitting on the principal axis from the south to the north are the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Precious Hall of Great Hero, the Hall of Great Mercy and the Buddhist Scripture Garret. There are annexes on both sides of the axis, such as the Bell and Drum Towers, Haihui Hall, Puzhao Hall, Taixu library and classrooms of the Buddhist Institute. The buildings are spread over a mountain side with difficult topography but with a  generally solemn and magnificent atmosphere.

Two Longevity Towers, two pavilions and a lotus pond have been built recently. Between the two ponds is the Seven Buddha Tower, which is composed of seven statues of Buddha. The Tower has 11 layers in the style of Buddhist buildings of South Asia, enriching the scenery of South Putuo Temple.

The Buddhist Institute of South Fujian in housed in the temple. It is the earliest Buddhist institute in our country and was established in 1925. The Buddhist institute opened the school again in 1985, establishing the Yangzheng College, a preparatory class, a formal class of two-year system. It also has additional a two-year research class, exerting an extensive influence at home and in Southeast Asia.