After five years‘ efforts, Shou Guo Temple was constructed in Emperor Yong Zheng period in Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in fire after three years. About 25 years later, it was rebuilt in the resent site. When you study Chinese in China, you may hear that Shou Guo Temple was built with the form of raising funds. Gradually, it became one of the thirteen temples of Gaju Sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the northwestern Yunnan.

Before you go there during the process of learning Mandarin Chinese in the city of Kunming, you should know the detailed location of Shou Guo Temple. Situated in Chazhi Village which is in the eastern coast of Lancang River, Shou Guo Temple is about 73 kilometers away from the county. Covering a total area of 2600 square meters, the temple is composed of monastery gate, the Main Hall and the side halls.

The Main Hall is the center of the whole temple architecture which belongs to the wooden structure with tripartite eaves and pointed peak. The whole area of the Main Hall is about 403 square meters with a length of 20.4 meters and a width of 20.32 meters. Under the eaves, you can see the Dougong decoratio, which is a system of brackets inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam. It has the architecture style of Han people in Qing Dynasty and also the characteristics of the Tibetan styled temples. In the aspect of decoration, the techniques of wood carving in Jianchuan are combined.

The main hall is three-story architecture. The first floor is for chanting sutra. Therefore, you can see the delicate painting and patterns on the walls. At present, ten wall paintings and one clapboard painting are preserved, relating to the religious theme like the Goddess of Mercy, Heavenly Kings and arhats and so on. If you ever been there when you study Mandarin in Yunnan, you can see the bright colors, smoothly painting as well as lively and real figures. In the second and third floors, some precious instruments, scriptures books and musical instruments used in Buddhist are preserved.

After the foundation of the new China, there were one courtyard of the main hall and couples of monk shags in Shou Guo Temple, with one living Buddha and 105 monks. Most of the monks are Naxi people and the others are Tibetan and Lisu people and Han people.