Students inspired by Shanxi history, culture

Historic discovery

She was also told the story about the discovery of the building, which was hidden in a remote village more than eight decades ago.

If not for a discovery by Liang and Lin in the 1930s, its historical and cultural value may still be unknown.

Before the 1930s, many researchers, especially those in Japan, believed that there were no preserved wooden structures older than the Tang Dynasty in China.

When examining the photos of murals in Gansu province's Mogao Grottoes, the couple found there was a set of maps of temples in the Mount Wutai region and Foguang was one of them.

In early 1937, they launched a search for the temple and it was quickly found in June.

Their research proved that the Grand Eastern Hall is the largest among the few preserved Tang Dynasty structures in China.

Wong said she was also impressed with the scale and the cultural values of this temple.

"This is a treasure house of Buddhist arts with a large number of statues and great murals, and also a trove for the study of ancient architecture as it features Tang Dynasty architectural style and structural details," Wong said.

At Foguang Temple, some students like Mok and Wong discovered a unique feature of the Tang Dynasty building. The huge roof has its eaves extending several meters out of the walls.