'Ep-krangs Temple

'Od-krjengh Temple
愛敬寺
'Od-krjengh's pagoda, c. 581
Former names	Trjung-lan Temple
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Buddhist temple complex
Architectural style	Menghean
Location	Lan-brjeng County, Kian-'an Prefecture
Country	Themiclesia
Elevation	250 m
Groundbreaking	c. 345 CE
Owner	'Od-krjengh Temple Foundation
Height	37 m
Technical details
Structural system	bracket & brace
Material	wood

‘Od-krjengh Temple (愛敬寺, lit. Love-Respect Temple) is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Lan-brjeng County, Kian-'an Prefecture, Themiclesia. The temple, founded by the Prince of Reng-rjong (零陵王) in 345, is amongst the oldest in Themiclesia. In the past, the temple was dedicated to the Abhidharma School of Buddhism and a centre of theological debate since its founding; it is also the source of the Aiking tradition of martial arts, though practitioners are no longer limited to Buddhists monks. On its grounds, several buildings dating to the 5th or 6th century remain standing, some authorities considering them the oldest standing wooden structures in the world.

Onomatology

Though it is known that the Prince Ghrwob (epithet, "compassionate") of Reng-rjong founded the temple, the original name of the temple has been lost. A large portion of the inscribed stele erected at founding has been preserved, demonstrating its antiquity, but the top of the stele, expected to bear the temple's original name, crumbled off due to external trauma. Nevertheless, since there is a record of all major temples around the area, preserved as part of the county's annals, only a handful of names are considered likely candidates, associated with the correct founding date and location.

The temple was renovated in 510, when it was renamed Trjung-lan Temple (中延寺). In 580, the temple received its current name, as part of the reigning emperor's desire to commemorate his parents (who both died young) by renaming one temple in each prefecture in their honour.

Architecture

Pagoda

Typical of temple complexes of this vintage, a wooden pagoda or tower stands at the centre of the temple. This structure is a derivative of a stupa, a circular mound where relics of revered Buddhist figures are preserved and commemorated. The practice of building mounds was considered taboo in Themiclesia, as such a structure at the scale expected of a stupa normally entombs a monarch. To avoid political suspicion, temples in Themiclesia replaced it with a pagoda. In imitation of traditional Themiclesian plans, the hall behind the Stupa, used for debates and lectures, later temples had them replace the stupa as the primary spiritual structure, while the stupa itself was used as an archive for important literature, due to its seclusion from the threat of fire and humidity.

The pagoda of 'Od-krjengh Temple has been dated to 581, thus old enough to qualify for automatic protection as a site of heritage under Themiclesian law. Looking from the exterior, the pagoda has five superimposed eaves of diminishing size, rising from ground level. However, the pagoda actually is a single-storey building; there are no floors above ground level. A central pillar acts as the trunk on which all other components of the pagoda attach. This design distinctly marks it as an early-period Buddhist pagoda, since it could not be used to store literature, but only relics on the ground level.

Hall

The main hall of the temple, last renovated in 1020

The hall of 'Od-krjengh Temple was constructed in multiple phases, new components being continually installed for its upkeep. It seems the oldest parts of the hall dates to the 600s, and slight charring on its surface indicates that the components were spared during a conflageration, which may have been the cause for the major rebuilding in 501. The majority of the hall, including most of its structural work, dates from 703, making it a relatively new building in the complex. It possesses several characteristics that demark it from earlier additions, many of which were redecorated to conform to a more recent style.

That the hall has an odd number of bays (the number of spaces between pillars) attests to its relative youth. Until the Drjon Dynasty (1150—1560), most buildings in Themiclesia had an even number of bays on its front, meaning that a pillar would be dead-centre viewed in that direction. Themiclesians at that time, however, used two main axes for large, ceremonial structures; the north-south axis was used when participants stood in the courtyard before the hall, while the east-west axis saw patronage when the participants moved inside. The practice of using an odd number of bays, then, appeared to grow out of religious convenience, so that the object of worship could appear at the centre of the building as the faithful gathered outside. Though this design is to propagate to almost all new buildings after around 1000, the very most significant of structures still remain characterized by an even number of bays.

Inner gate

The inner gate: originally the main gate of the complex, two other sets of walls nested it in later ages