The temple traces its origins to the former Zhengjue Temple (正觉寺), founded by master Huijing (惠净) in the Tang dynasty (618–907) and would later become Wuyou Temple in the Song dynasty (960–1279).[2] Over the course of 1,400 years, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The present version was completed in the Qing dynasty (1644–1911).
The Hall of Maitreya was built in 1920. A 5-metre (16 ft) high gilded statue of Maitreya is enshrined in the middle of the hall. A total of 48 statues of Maitreya are placed at the back of the main statue, represent 48 wishes of Maitreya.
Mahavira Hall
The Mahavira Hall was rebuilt in 1913, during the recently established Republic of China. In the center of the eaves of the hall is a plaque, on which there are the words "Mahavira Hall" written by calligrapher Huang Yunhu (黄云鹄). The hall enshrining the Three Saints of Hua-yan (华严三圣). In the middle is Sakyamuni, wood carving statues of Manjushri and Samantabhadra stand on the left and right sides of Sakyamuni's statue. Each of them is about 4-metre (13 ft) high.
The Hall of Arhat was enlarged in 1909. During the ten-year Cultural Revolution the Red Guards demolished the 500 statues of Arhat. Reconstruction of the hall, supervised by abbot Shi Bianneng, commenced in 1986 and was completed in 1989. Now the hall enshrines the statues of the Five Hundred Arhats, which is a grouping of arhats that encompasses Buddhist deities such as Hayagriva and Yamantaka who take the forms of arhats, as well as the Thousand-Armed manifestation of the Bodhisattva Guanyin and the Wisdom King Mahamayuri.