Samye Monastery covers an area of 25,000 square meters, boasting a magnificent scale filled with numerous halls and pagodas. Centered around the Great Golden Hall, it forms a massive and complete architectural complex. The layout of the monastery was constructed according to the Buddhist conception of the universe, modeled after the ancient flying monasteries of India.
The Great Golden Hall faces east and stands three stories high. The main hall alone occupies an area of 6,000 meters. The spacing between the buildings is generous, ranging from 5.5 to 6 meters. To maximize lighting efficiency, balconies are installed on the second and third floors to capture sunlight to the fullest extent. As long as the sun does not set, the main hall is continuously bathed in sunlight.
The Great Golden Hall is also known as the Wuzi Grand Hall, representing Mount Sumeru, the center of the world. The four structures surrounding the main hall represent the four continents and eight lesser continents situated in the four salty seas. The Sun and Moon Halls symbolize the sun and moon of the universe. The monastery walls symbolize the Iron Wheel Mountains enclosing the world. Around the main hall, red, white, green, and black pagodas were built to suppress all fierce spirits and demons, preventing natural and man-made disasters.
Chapter 869