Zhangzi Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jul)
Faxing Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jul)
The Three Wonders of Faxing Temple in Changzhi
Similarly located in the coal mining area of Changzi County, Changzhi, Faxing Temple is well-known and was relocated to its current site due to coal mining. Above the 60 steps, there are the Three Wonders inherited from the Tang and Song dynasties: The first wonder is the Relic Pagoda, built during the Tang dynasty, with its body entirely constructed from sandstone slabs, simple and unadorned, with few carvings, and not tall or beautiful in shape. The second wonder is the Lamp-Lighting Pagoda, protected by a glass cover, resembling the stone lamps commonly seen in temples, but this one is exquisitely designed and carved, said to be one of the three remaining stone lamps from the Tang dynasty in China. It is said that the Lamp-Lighting Pagoda, when lit with a Buddha lamp, will never extinguish regardless of whether the wind blows from the east, west, south, or north, hence it is known as the 'Ever-Bright Lamp.' The third wonder is the most beautiful set of Song dynasty colored sculptures of the Twelve Yuanjue Figures. The 12 Yuanjue Bodhisattvas have nearly identical female features, with the same style of makeup and clothing, yet each has a distinct posture, embodying both the plumpness of the Tang and the elegance of the Song, conveying a sense of transparency between heaven and earth, and a calm and leisurely spirit, matching the term 'Yuanjue.' This group of sculptures is also acclaimed as the crown of Song dynasty Bodhisattva sculptures. Personally, I feel that these sculptures, along with those of the Song dynasty maidservants at Jinci Temple, share a similar temperament—delicate, pure, restrained, and subdued—or perhaps, this is the cultural tone of the entire Song dynasty. Faxing Temple
Journey to Shanxi—Faxing Temple in Changzhi
Hidden ancient temple in the deep mountains, green trees surround the red walls, the thousand-year-old Faxing Temple, the town has 'three absolutes'. Faxing Temple is the highest level, largest scale, and highest research and ornamental value of ancient temple buildings in Changzhi City. The Tang Stone Relic Tower, the Burning Lamp Tower, and the Song Sculpture Twelve Round Enlightenment in the temple are known as 'Faxing Three Absolutes'.
Stepping into the mountain gate of Faxing Temple, the first thing that catches your eye is a relic tower. The lower layer of the stone tower has grooves, murals on all four walls, the upper layer is a double-eave pavilion-style building, with four corners gathered at the top, bead necklaces collected at the top of the tower, and the relief in the caisson is exquisite, and the figures in the murals are dignified. The overall shape of the tower is quite peculiar, it looks like a 'four unlike' like a tower but not a tower, like a hall but not a hall, like a building but not a building, like a fort but not a fort. The tower is also known as the 'Stone Hall', which is made of sandstone. The tower is small on the top and large on the bottom. It has the staggered beauty of the tower: square and square, and the upright beauty of the hall. The two layers also have the layered beauty of the tower and building. It can be said to gather the beauty of the tower, hall, building, and fort in one, which is unique in our country's ancient towers. It is a unique example of Tang towers in our country, which is precious and is the 'first absolute' of Faxing Temple.
Behind the relic tower is a burning lamp tower also known as the 'ever-burning lamp'. The absolute beauty lies in its exquisite structure, fine carving, ancient and beautiful, it is the perfect carrier of stone carving art in the Tang Dynasty, and it is also the most exquisite, finest carving, and best preserved among the only three Tang Dynasty stone lamps in our country. On the octagonal base of the tower, a begonia Sumeru seat is placed, the tower body is covered with eight slopes and eight corners gathered at the top, carved with four doors and four windows hollow room, the corner column is carved into a waist lotus group column, the bucket arch supports the tower eaves, the column is connected by the railing and the flat board hang, and there are 8 musicians, lifelike: the tower is a mountain flower banana leaf bead style In addition to these external beauties, its reasonable windproof function is the inner cleverness. No matter what direction the wind is from, the Buddha lamp will never go out. It is truly deserved, and it is the 'second absolute' of Faxing Temple.
The Round Enlightenment Hall is the main building of Faxing Temple. The Buddhist scriptures mention that the Twelve Round Enlightenment is the 12 disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni. 'Round Enlightenment' means 'full enlightenment', which means that it is about to become a Buddha. The Song Dynasty Twelve Round Enlightenment colored statues in the Round Enlightenment Hall are the third absolute. Although the Round Enlightenment statues in the hall were originally molded in the first year of the Northern Song Dynasty's Zhenghe (1111), they inherited the charm of Tang art everywhere. They are high-bun and beautiful eyebrows, full of vitality, bold and elegant, plump but not beautiful, fat but not bloated, the beauty of the Tang Dynasty's 'plump' and the Song Dynasty's 'delicate' state, here through the ancient clay sculptor's wise hands, they are fully and appropriately expressed, truly showing the Buddhist mood of 'the beginning of the right awakening is round'. Please stop and take a close look, some are stepping on the lotus seat with their left foot, supporting their cheeks with their left hand, their eyes slightly closed in thought, quiet and elegant, their expressions overflow from their eyebrows and flow to their corners of their mouths: some have their arms slightly bent and half-raised forward, their fingers are elegantly shaped, their ribbons are draped over their bodies, their lines are extremely changeable, and they have a sense of rhythm... The treasures in the art of Eastern clay sculpture are amazing! It is the 'third absolute' of Faxing Temple, and it is also the most amazing.
Pathfinder Episode 14: Faxing Temple in Changzhi, Shanxi
Faxing Temple, located in Changzhi, Shanxi, is a fascinating temple.
Firstly, the fascination lies in the Tang stone stupa in the middle of the courtyard, which houses the Buddhist treasure - 37 Buddha relics;
Secondly, the fascination lies in the Song Dynasty statues in the Yuanjue Hall, which are extremely exquisite. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed, and if you dare to take pictures, they will announce in the loudspeaker throughout the courtyard that photography is not allowed. As a result, only one photo was taken with the mobile phone (Figure 5);
Thirdly, the entire courtyard building looks handsome from all angles.
Figure 2 is the statue of the back hall, which is also a rare giant colored porcelain production.
Special note:
There is a rest at noon, lunch time.
Chongqing Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jul)
Chongqing Temple in Changzhi|The colorful sculptures here witness the universe and all beings!
|The colorful sculptures here witness the universe and all beings!. There is a saying that
there are three groups of the most artistically representative colored sculptures in China: they are Chongqing Temple, Faxing Temple, and Jinci in Shanxi
We have talked about the Twelve Yuanjue Bodhisattva statues of Faxing Temple, and last year we also appreciated the maid sculptures of Jinci during our visit to northern Shanxi.
This year, we finally had the opportunity to come to Chongqing Temple in Changzhi!
Even if you come for the colored sculptures of Chongqing Temple,
don't miss the Song Dynasty architecture in the temple! Chongqing Temple was founded in the ninth year of Dazhong Xiangfu of the Northern Song Dynasty (1016 AD)
It was renovated many times during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In 1996, it became the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Originally, there were thousands of suspended Buddha statues on all four walls in the Buddha Hall,
but now only more than 160 statues remain on the west wall~ still exquisite. This hall still retains the original Song Dynasty structure, with a width of three bays and a depth of three bays,
a single-eaved Xieshan roof, and a square floor plan.
What's interesting in this hall is that,
behind the backlights of the two attendant Bodhisattvas on the altar, there is a standing statue of Pure Bottle Guanyin each, this type of statue is very rare, and it is said that there is only this one example in Shanxi!
The Song Dynasty sculptures preserved in Chongqing Temple are relatively complete and quite splendid, especially the Three Great Sages Hall!
Also known as the Arhat Hall~ The eighteen Arhat sculptures here are really wonderful
The size ratio of the eighteen Arhats is similar to that of real people, not only are the folds of their clothes smooth and flowing,
but more importantly, the expressions of the Arhats are very naturally and vividly depicted,
Often, you can see a familiar shadow on the face of an Arhat
Perhaps it resembles someone you've seen in life, a moment, or an expression. As an important representative of Song sculptures,
the Arhat statues here can fully let you feel
how the sculptor uses facial depictions and the actions of the characters to echo each other, thereby more profoundly expressing the characters' psychology. Ancient architecture expert Chai Zejun once said,
the Arhat statues of Chongqing Temple not only have a precise date but also superb sculpting skills,
they inherit the robust and vigorous charm of the Tang Dynasty Arhats,
and greatly develop the realistic style to form a generation of fine works, which is very precious.
In the Arhats, you feel the figures of all beings.
Q Another hall, the Ksitigarbha Hall, should not be missed either!
The Ksitigarbha Hall, as the name suggests, displays another world of the netherworld.
The Ksitigarbha Hall was built during the Ming Dynasty, and the glazed tiles on the roof and the doors and windows are relics of the Ming Dynasty.
The hall enshrines Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, with the Ten Kings of Hell on the left and right, and the six judges are sculpted on the side walls.
The surprising part here is that, above each colored sculpture,
the craftsmen use a series of painting and stage layout techniques,
to create the pavilions, towers, and character stories in the netherworld with suspended sculptures.
Therefore, coming to Chongqing Temple
you can not only see heaven but also see earth!
And on the bodies of the Song Dynasty Arhat statues, you can see all beings! Wonderful! Wonderful!
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