▁the ▁third ▁earliest ▁preserved ▁tim ber ▁structure ▁in ▁China . ▁It ▁was ▁redis cover ed ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁architect ural ▁historian ▁Li ang ▁S ich eng ▁( 1 9 0 1 – 1 9 7 2 ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁while ▁an ▁older ▁hall ▁at ▁Nan chan ▁Temple ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁team ▁a ▁year ▁later . ▁The ▁temple ▁also ▁contains ▁another ▁significant ▁hall ▁d ating ▁from ▁ 1 1 3 7 ▁called ▁the ▁Man jus ri ▁Hall . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁second ▁oldest ▁existing ▁pag oda ▁in ▁China ▁( after ▁the ▁Song y ue ▁P ag oda ), ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century , ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁temple ▁grounds . ▁Today ▁the ▁temple ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁site ▁and ▁is ▁under going ▁rest oration . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁temple ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁fifth ▁century ▁during ▁the ▁Northern ▁Wei ▁dynast y . ▁From ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁ 7 8 5 ▁to ▁ 8 2 0 , ▁the ▁temple ▁under w ent ▁an ▁active ▁building ▁period ▁when ▁a ▁three ▁level , ▁ 3 2 ▁m ▁tall ▁pav il ion ▁was ▁built . ▁In ▁ 8 4 5 , ▁Emperor ▁W uz ong ▁b anned ▁Buddh ism ▁in ▁China . ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁per sec ution , ▁F og u ang ▁temple ▁was ▁burn ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁with ▁only ▁the ▁Z ush i ▁pag oda ▁surv iving ▁from ▁the ▁temple '