The Fangshan Yunju Temple Pagoda and Stone Sutras

The Fangshan Yunju Temple Pagoda and Stone Sutras, located in the Yunju Temple in Shuitou Village, Dashiwotown, Fangshan District, Beijing, are a group of cultural relics composed of Buddhist pagodas and stone sutras. The earliest Buddhist pagoda was built in the second year of Tang Jingyun (711), which is the oldest Tang pagoda in Beijing. There are also four Tang pagodas and one Liao pagoda. The stone sutras were carved from the Sui Daye period (605~617) to the Ming Dynasty, lasting for more than 1000 years. The stone pagodas and brick pagodas of the Tang Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty preserved near the Fangshan Yunju Temple, and the carved Buddha statues, donors, Vajra warriors, etc. inside the pagoda, are vivid and smooth, showing the high achievements of the architecture and sculpture art of the Tang and Liao Dynasties. The quantity is large and the carving is exquisite, which is rare in Beijing. The stone sutras are the cultural treasures of the Chinese nation and extremely precious world cultural heritage, with extremely high academic value, cultural value and historical value. They are known as the 'national treasure' and 'the Great Wall of Stone Sutras'. Through the stone sutras of different calligraphy styles in different dynasties, we can see the evolution of Chinese calligraphy. Some of the artistic images of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Heavenly King, attendant, flying sky, flowers and plants that appear on some sutra plates vividly and richly express the style of folk art in the Youzhou area at that time.