The Flower of Ancient Architecture in Jiangnan

The Yuanmiao Guan Sanqing Hall, located in the northwest of Guanqiao, Licheng District, Putian City, Fujian Province, on the north side of Meiyuan Road, was established in the second year of Tang Zhenguan (628 AD), rebuilt in the eighth year of Song Dazhong Xiangfu (1015 AD), and again in the thirteenth year of Ming Chongzhen (1640 AD). It is a Taoist temple building that retains the architectural style of the Song Dynasty. The Yuanmiao Guan Sanqing Hall faces south, the main hall is a double-eave Xieshan-style building, with a moon platform in front, 7 bays wide and 6 bays deep, with a simple and rigorous structure. Inside the hall, the wooden beam frame is supported on 20 large stone pillars with a diameter of 54 cm, the pillar heads are slightly rolled, and the pillar bases are in the shape of a lotus flower upside down, which is very simple. The dougong in the hall is quite in line with the Song Dynasty style. The main hall is a seven-purlin double-copy double-down arch stealing heart structure, with eight camel hump-shaped rafters symmetrically arranged. Only the railings are applied between the pillars, and no general purlins are used. The dougong is huge, the bottom of the bucket is dish-shaped, and the arch steals the heart. The purlin is one each in the front and back eaves.