Restoring the original foundation of the tea garden

Mr. Yang’s team is now working amazingly quickly to finish major restoration work by June 1. We then begin interior details to get ready for guests by the end of June.

The interesting thing about this team is how they work with an intuitive understanding of the temple’s buildings, because they are built on the same design principles and structural metrics as their own Bai-style courtyard homes. This makes sourcing reclaimed timber and boards much easier, because they are used in traditional buildings throughout the Shaxi Valley. We are also well within budgets thanks to the proximity of brick and tile kilns nearby, as well as re-using much of the mud brick and stone that has been excavated from the temple itself.

The amazing master woodworker and project leader, Mr. Yang

Replicating existing niches for religious images

Replacing recently poured concrete with qing brick

How Low can you go? Leveling the floor in the future Shaxi Visitor Information Center

Creating proper drainage channels

Future exhibition hall, Shaxi Visitor's Center

During my last visit in April to the work site, Mr. Yang, Mr. Wu and I decided to take the walls and floors of secondary buildings in the temple complex down to their original earth layer, removing all concrete and plaster. After we level and tamp the floors, we will be adding brick and stone. For the walls, we will use a mixture of lime, plaster and rice husk, with no additional pigments. The result should be close to what the original builders of this temple created over 300 years ago.

Mixing plaster for walls

Adding electric conduits in the kitchen

Cafe space

Keeping original roof tiles and mud brick for replacement

Zipline Project Leader Chris Frederick introduces the build plan to Yunnan Provincial Tourism Bureau Director Mr. He

In late March we received a delegation of Provincial and Country Tourism leaders to review our progress and learn about our upcoming projects in Shaxi Valley.

Ginkgo Partner Chris Barclay welcomes the delegation to the Old Theatre Inn

Chris escorts Yunnan Province Tourism Training Director Mrs. Liu

Ginkgo Partners Wu Yunxin and Chris Barclay introduce the delegation to the history of the Old Theatre Inn, enjoying tea on the temple stage

Traditional gables to be supported with new struts

Reconstructing a 300-year old folk temple requires a local expertise that few in China have. We are lucky to have a great team of local Bai builders who have years of experience building local rammed earth houses and gabled roofs, which serve as the fundamental vernacular styles of the Pear Orchard Temple. The team began by removing all the old tiles, chipping off the lime mortar and replacing them so that the casual observer will not notice that the roof is completely new underneath.

Completely new rafter assembly, North Hall

Gathering original roof tiles to replace onto new roof truss

Protecting original artwork during construction

Temple guard watching over the workers

Refitting the original tiles, final stage of roof replacement

All new truss in the Guan Yin Hall 观音店

Ginkgo Partner Wu Yunxin is overseeing construction by local master builder Mr. Yang and his team.

New rafters and floorboards

Preparing to replace rotting wood

Scaffolding and netting

Chris Frederick scouts tower locations with government officials

Ginkgo has initiated the Shaxi Temple Zipline Tour, which will allow tourists to visit UNESCO grottoes in the hills above Shaxi without driving the 7km between these mountain temples, significantly reducing traffic and environmental impact. Stay tuned!

Partner Wu Yunxin leads officials on a tour of the Pear Orchard Temple

Now that we have submitted out proposal to the Heritage Bureau, we needed to take the officials on a tour to explain where we want to make changes, and there are a lot. We’re upgrading electric, adding windows, skylights and removing cheaply constructed recent additions and adding a public toilet.

The response from Jianchuan Heritage Bureau was positive and we expect approval to begin construction before Chinese New Year.

In late November, I spent a day with Mr. Yang, a Shaxi architect and master woodworker to discuss how to best integrate existing structural elements of the Pear Orchard Temple into future usage. The goal is to allow increased visitor traffic with minimal impact to the environment. As we plan to have a gift shop, vegetarian dining and tea room, we need to consider kitchen usage especially, as it doesn’t currently have anything but two Chinese coal-fired cookers.

Mr. Yang is a great resource when it comes to understanding Shaxi traditional construction and vernacular styles. It’s my job to help him understand about how we want to integrate modern electric, plumbing and lighting that will satisfy guests and the Heritage Bureau.

First meeting at temple, Winter 2011

In this photo is Mayor Zhang on the left facing me, with a village leader and other township officials in the doorway of the main hall. Note the notices posted everywhere and the skerret (a popular local tuber) drying on the terrace. When I first visited the temple, this area was occupied by old men from Dian Tou Village, smoking and playing cards. This East facing main room gets good light most of the day and is the favorite place for local people to hang out. We wanted to keep them coming to the temple for activities but needed to balance this with accommodating outside visitors. Mayor Zhang proposed an old people’s park set aside for them to play cards, while encouraging some to be caretakers.

Chris discusses wall repair with Jian Chuan Heritage Bureau Chief

The next step of government negotiations was talking with the Heritage Bureau for Jianchuan County. As Ci Yin An temple is over 300 years old, and a unique architectural site, the Heritage Bureau needs to see a detailed proposal of how we intend to repair the temple, and what what kinds of changes we intend to make to accommodate more visitors. Everything from plumbing, to wiring  to roof tiles must be approved by the Heritage Bureau.

Chris and Jianchuan County Heritage Bureau Chief Mr. Lu discuss proposal requirements

Understanding Heritage Bureau requirements, Ci Yin An temple rennovation

Assessing the Guan Yin Shrine, Pear Orchard Temple, Shaxi Yunnan

Exterior from fields opposide

The upper shrine from hillside

Tobacco fields and pear orchard

Ancient pear trees above top courtyard

Temple from street