Photo taken on April 20, 2011 gives an exterior view of the Green Lotus Temple, situated in Jincheng, north China's Shanxi Province. Initially built in the 6th century AD, the Green Lotus Temple is among the earliest temples of the Pure Land Sect, one of the most popular Buddhist traditions in East Asia. Inside, a statue depicts the Buddhist founder Sakyamuni meditating on a green lotus flower, which is the source of the temple's name. It was refurnished in the 9th century by emperors of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), who also built a new temple with the same name several kilometers from the original site. The temple is now a reserve of tablet inscriptions, statues and mural paintings. [Xinhua/Fan Minda]