Qianfo Pavilion of Tianning Temple in Haiyan, Zhejiang

Qianfo Pavilion of Tianning Yongzuo Zen Temple was first built in the 3rd year of the Dali period of the Tang dynasty (768 AD), rebuilt twice in the early Hongwu period and the 1st year of the Chongzhen period (1628 AD) of the Ming dynasty, and renovated twice during the Qianlong and Tongzhi periods of the Qing dynasty. The pavilion is 5 rooms wide, 4 rooms deep, and 23 meters high, with 2 floors and a total area of 974.7 square meters. It has a double-eave hip roof, five-stepped bracket sets with double cantilevers, inclined columns, and a Taihu stone Sumeru pedestal. There are over 300 wood and stone carvings of flowers, animals, buildings, and other patterns on the Sumeru pedestal, beams, purlins, bracket sets, and sparrow braces. The pavilion is magnificent, scientifically structured, and artistically exquisite. It is the oldest and largest single-story wooden ancient building in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou area and one of the largest in Zhejiang. It is a key cultural relic under provincial protection.