Xinzhu Langyin Hall 心珠朗瑩殿

The first building a visitor comes across when entering the Zhenjue Monastery 真覺寺 is the remaining foundation of what once was the Xinzhu Langyin Hall 心珠朗瑩殿, also known as the Great Hall大殿. The structure that once stood on the foundation was destroyed during the Republican Period leaving the Jingangbaozuo Pagoda 金刚宝座塔 as the last complete remaining extent building on the site. The original Xinzhu Langyin Hall was five or six zhang 丈, or between about 16.65 and 19.98 meters, in height. The hall is centered directly south of the Jingangbaozuo Pagoda. 1

The remains of the Xinzhu Langyin Hall’s foundation are made of cut stone and are elevated on a platform. The foundation is rectangular in layout with the southern facing foundation having openings adjacent to the southeast and southwestern corners. The stone foundation is extensively carved and resembles a highly stylized wall. The top third and bottom third of the wall protrude slightly from the middle third. The top of the protruding bottom third of the wall has a lotus petal motif that continues along the entire foundation. Each corner of the middle section contains a stylized pillar interspaced with inscribed Buddhist iconography. The bottom of the top protruding third contains stone bracketing that resembles lotus petals. The top eight of the foundation protrudes slightly more than the rest and is inscribed with Sanskrit character. The style of the Xinzhu Langyin Hall’s foundation is comparable to the style of the bottom levels of the foundation of Jingangbaozuo Pagoda.