One of the things that floored me while I was in China was the masonry. The Chinese had stone crafting down to an art. This particular courtyard is relatively small compared to ones found in the Forbidden City but as an example, look at how flat the courtyard is. Today, this type of leveling would be done with heavy machinery and cement but back then, this had to be done by hand. And, I'm sure it took many men, many months to tamp the earth down flat and to build this relatively small courtyard. The size of this courtyard pales in comparison to other areas here and in the Forbidden City. Like I said, I was so impressed with the craftsmanship of these temples and gardens in China.