Temple Sculpture

Painted Sculptures at Jinci Temple 晋祠

At the foot of the Xuanweng Mountain, 25km southwest of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, lies the famous Jinci Temple. The Jinci Temple was first built before the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) in memory of Shu Yu, the second son of Wuwang of the Zhou Dynasty. The temple was repaired and expanded several times through the Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Jinci Temple combines cultural relics and beautiful landscapes. It is well known for the magnificent architecture and clay sculptures in the Goddess Temple. Jinci Temple combines styles from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism and reflects the union of three religions and the worship of multiple gods.

The Goddess Temple 圣母殿 is the main building of the Jinci Temple. It faces east. It is majestic and large, forming an axle wire with other buildings. There are 43 colored sculptures in the Goddess Hall. The main statue sits straight in the wood niche with four maids and two female officials in front of her standing in a fan shape. Eighteen attendants stand in a U-shape along with the main niche. Although there are many statues, the area is not cluttered.

The Goddess is dressed in a chaplet and official robes decorated with flowers and birds. It is decorous in appearance.

The robe appears to have a soft and delicate quality and matches her body structure. In the image of the Goddess, the influence of Buddhism is visible. The Goddess is placed on the chancel of the main hall. She sits with the legs crossed and the bottom of the skirt downward naturally. However, the hands of the Goddess are not exposed but hidden in the sleeves, showing an introverted temperament.

Buddhist Statue at Qinglian Temple 青莲寺

The Qinglian Temple is on the side of Xiashi Mountain in Zezhou County, Jincheng, Shanxi Province. There is a statue of Sakyamuni on the lotus throne in this temple, which gives it its name. It consists of two parts: An old and a new temple, which is conveniently nestled against the mountain. The elegant and neat buildings and courtyards are located amid the beautiful mountains and clear waters.

The old Temple was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). It includes a main hall and southern hall. A giant statue of Sakyamuni with two disciples on each side is located in the middle of the main hall. Two statues of Bodhisattvas, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, sit opposite each other in front of the giant statues. The statues in the old temple were made during the Song Dynasty. The gold-overlaid statue of Sakyamuni is majestic with the face pumping up and the ears hanging low. The statue is wearing a loose Buddhist robe with a naked right shoulder. The statue sits on the lotus throne with the left hand on its knee and the right hand up in the air as if imparting Buddhist doctrines. The statues of Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva are mild in appearance with knots of hair on their heads. They are in brilliant clothes and wear necklaces and bracelets. The Manjusri Bodhisattva raises his hands in front of the chest, while the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva puts the left hand on the knee and raises the right hand. The southern hall contains many Tang- style Buddhist statues in the images of Sakyamuni, Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Kashyapa, Anada, and other Bodhisattvas.

The new Temple was built during the Sui Dynasty (581- 618). The sculptures of the Song Dynasty are mostly in the Sakyamuni Hall and the auxiliary halls on both sides. The statues of Sakyamuni, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva are in the Sakyamuni Hall. The statue of Sakyamuni has a wide face, golden hair, and majestic appearance. His ears hang low, and the right forearm has been damaged. The statues of Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva has a similar appearance with a knot of hair, red crown, round face, and long eyebrows. Their eyes are soft as if they are looking down at the world. They are wearing similar necklaces and similar clothes with different patterns. They are also very similar in appearance. Due to the ravages of time, their hands are damaged.

The auxiliary halls on both sides include statues of Manjusri Bodhisattva, 16 Arhats, Ksitigarbha and Yamarajas. All statues were made during the Song Dynasty. Among the majestic and vivid statues, those of Yamarajas are most distinctive. Yamarajas are ten unique images of Buddhist sculptures from China.

According to Indian Buddhism, there is only one Yamaraja to lead the deities of hell, judge dead people on their deeds while alive and hand out proper punishment. As Buddhism spread in China, some Buddhist deities were improved or adopted by the Chinese while images of Yamarajas with distinctive Chinese features emerged as Buddhism met the needs of the Chinese people. The Yamarajas have a Chinese family name and the definite records of their horoscopes. They are the continuous images of the human rulers and the ruling class in hell. In Indian Buddhism, the Yamaraja is the fifth one and is played by Bao Zheng, an official from the Song Dynasty. The sculptures of the Yamarajas in the new temple wear crowns and long beards. Some scowl at people, some are in the image of gentle officials, some are likewise old men. The images are similar to the images of deities from Taoism and far from their origin as images of Indian Buddhism.

Dazu Rock Carvings 大足石刻

Dazu rock carvings are an exceptional series of rock carvings in the Moya Grottoes, Dazu County, Sichuan Province. The carvings date back to the Tang Dynasty (650) and were built over 1,200 years. The period from the Year of Yuanfeng in the Northern Song Dynasty to the Year of Chunyou in the Southern Song Dynasty (1078-1252). It was the golden age of the Dazu rock carvings. The carvings made during the Song Dynasty are the essence of the carvings.

The carvings are mostly on the North Mountain, Baoding Mountain, South Mountain, Shizhuan Mountain, and Shimen Mountain. The carvings of Esoteric Buddhism are gathered on South Mountain and Baoding Mountain, carvings of Taoism on South Mountain, carvings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism on Shizhuan Mountain, and carvings of Taoism and Buddhism on Shimen Mountain. The Buddhist doctrines are popularly demonstrated using serial pictures there, combine the Buddha dharma, filial duty and filial rule from Confucian thought and the pastoral feeling from Taoism. Therefore, the Buddhist doctrines further integrate with the Chinese features. The popular thoughts and folk expressions are a major characteristic of Dazu rock carvings.

Shizhuan Mountain 石篆山

The Moya Carving on Shizhuan Mountain began during the first century AD. It harmoniously combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, a rare combination among Chinese grottoes.

The No.6 grotto is a shrine built for Confucius and his ten disciples. Confucius sits properly with a serious mien in the middle of the shrine with his feet on a square table. He wears a headband and Hanfu (the national costume of Han people) with a jade belt at the waist and a precious fan in his right hand. His ten disciples are in orderly rows on both sides of the Master, five on each side. They are vivid in appearance. Some face the Master, some stand with eyes to the front, while some are discussing with nearby disciples. They wear crowns and Hanfu with jade belts and jade tablets in their hands. The carvings of Confucius and his ten disciples are in imitation of the emperor and his officials.

The No.7 grotto contains various carvings in the image of Buddha, Buddhists, and Bodhisattva.

The No.8 grotto is a shrine to Laozi. In the center of the shrine sits a statue of Laozi with seven statues of Taoist holy men standing on each side. Laozi sits with his legs tucked up on a high table. The statue of Laozi is higher than the others. He is wearing a Hanfu and has a fan in one hand. Other statues hold jade tablets. No.8 grotto is similar to No.6.

Shimen Mountain 石门山

The carvings of Shimen Mountain were made between 1094 and 1151 and consist of 12 grottoes. The carvings present the harmonious combination of Buddhism and Taoism. The Taoist statues are most distinctive.

The No.2 grotto was built during the Song Dynasty (1147) and is a shrine to the Jade Emperor. The statue of the Jade Emperor is small and sits on a throne in a dignified position. It wears a crown and imperial gowns and holds a jade tablet for ritual services in one hand with two maids holding large fans behind him. Two rare statues of clairvoyant and clairaudient are carved under the shrine. The clairvoyant's hair is put up with a hair decoration. He is wearing the breast armor with a magic weapon in his right hand. He has a thin face with a pair of dilated eyes and open mouth. The shape of the statue looks as if he is investigating a situation far away. The statue of the clairaudient is very ugly. His face scrunches up and is very exaggerated. A pair of erected ears look as if he is listening. He is stripped to the waist and holds a snake-shaped magic weapon with one end in his hand and the other end around his neck. The two deities look strange and are in good fettle. They stand barefoot with two legs stretched out. The magniloquent styles give them a kind of unstoppable power.

The Buddhist carvings are mostly composed of the shrines of Medicine Buddha, Guanyin and Sakyamuni, and grottoes of Guanyin and other bodhisattvas. The No.6 grotto of Guanyin is most exquisite. The grotto was built during the Song Dynasty (1141). In the center of the grotto is the statue of Amitabha, with Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta on the left and right sides respectively. They have beautiful faces with wreaths on their heads, necklaces around the neck and soft Buddhist robes. The statue of Guanyin holds a lotus in front, while Mahasthamaprapta holds a Ruyi (an auspicious object usually made of jade). On the left and right walls of the grotto is the statue of holy Guanyin with a rounded face, peaceful appearance, slender figure, gorgeous jewelry and ribbons around the body. The statue stands on twin lotus with bare feet. The divine light around the statue fully displays its elegance and charm. It is a masterpiece of grotto carving from the Song Dynasty.

Besides the abovementioned Jinci Temple, Qinglian Temple and Dazu rock carvings, the harmonious combination of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are a typical scene in temples built during the Song Dynasty; including the Prajna Cave in Anyue Grottoes of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Lotus Temple (Lianhua Ci) Grottoes in Pingdingchuan, Gansu Province, and the holy shrine of the Northern Song Dynasty. It perfectly shows the changes in Chinese religious spirits. On the one hand, Buddhist thoughts gradually integrated with traditional Confucian culture and become part of the Chinese culture. On the other, the speculative philosophy of Buddhism promotes the growth of Confucianism during the Song Dynasty, while Taoism also adopts and borrows ideas from Buddhism and Confucianism. Song-style sculptural arts combining Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism directly reflect such intrinsic changes among the religious spirits.