The Temple is also known as the Lesser Potala Palace. Built within more than 4 years from 1767 to 1771, the temple is situated north of the Mountain Resort. Putuozongsheng is modeled on the Potala Palace in Tibet, and therefore it is also named “Lesser Potala Palace .” The entire temple encompasses 220, 000 square meters. It was built by Qing emperor Qinglong to celevrate his 60th anniversary, empress’s 80th anniversary and to host the upper strata personages of the minority peoples from Mongolia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang who came to join in his birthday celebrations. The temple has a special architecture, the temple is made up of 50 Buddhist halls, scripture-reciting halls, monks’ living quarters, red terraces, white terraces topped with one or five pagodas and glazed ceremonial arches which rise and fall with the mountain slopes in a variable rectangular disposition. The red terrace is 42.5 meters high and 59.7 meters in width. It is the main structure within the temple and imposing. The temple compound is tranquil and peaceful where stand tall pines, cypresses and rockeries, adding solemnity to the ambient atmosphere.
