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Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), entrance
- Title Translation: 大智殿 , 入口
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: The Dazhi Hall is located east of the Zhihua Hall and opposite from the Sutra Hall. The hall initially enshrined three bodhisattvas, Avolokiteśvara attended by Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra on an altar. Though different in function and interior layout, the Dazhi Hall has the exact measurements and structure as the Sutra Hall, its counterpart across from the courtyard.
Coffered Ceiling from Zhihua Hall (Zhihuadian, Hall of Transforming Wisdom), research team conducting scanning
- Title Translation: 智化殿天花与藻井 , 研究小组进行扫描
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: The Zhihua monastery is one of the great Buddhist temple compounds in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Conceived on a grand scale, the compound was built in the early 1400s by the eunuch Wang Zhen. This ceiling comes from the second of five main halls on the monastery's central axis—the Hall of Great Wisdom. To give visitors a sense of the original context, the Museum installed the ceiling with architectural elements reconstructed from measured drawings made at the original site. In the center is a writhing imperial dragon surrounded by clouds, bracketing, and eight canted panels, each bearing a smaller dragon among clouds. Lotuses, apsaras (Buddhist flying musicians), and other Buddhist religious symbols are carved in the surrounding panels. The Chinese name for this central part of the ceiling is tianjing, or "well of heaven." While most of the original red lacquer is well preserved, much of the rich overlay of gold leaf has been lost. A series of model temples supported by cloud-decorated brackets encompass the central element; within these miniature structures are delicately carved sculptures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The remainder of the ceiling consists of square panels painted with stylized lotus flowers that show the influence of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). Each bears a character from a North Indian script (called Lantsha by the Tibetans) that symbolically recreates the universe. The model temples and panels may have been added during repairs made in the Kangxi period (1662–1722).
Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), back
- Title Translation: 万佛阁天花与藻井 , 背面
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: The ceiling from the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, at first sold to a coffin-maker, was acquired by Laurence Sickman in 1930 for the newly founded Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. It is carved cypress wood with gold leaf; dragon design carved in relief.
Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), back
- Title Translation: 万佛阁天花与藻井 , 背面
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: The ceiling from the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, at first sold to a coffin-maker, was acquired by Laurence Sickman in 1930 for the newly founded Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. It is carved cypress wood with gold leaf; dragon design carved in relief.
Buddha Triad from Zhihua Hall (Zhihuadian, Hall of Transforming Wisdom), 3D model
- Title Translation: 智化殿三世佛 , 3D模型
- Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
- Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
- Work Description: The main altar of the Zhihua Hall is no longer in its original form, and the three large seated Buddhas that originally occupied the space were removed and are now believed to be in the Dajue Temple. The Zhihua Hall now houses three Buddha images that once occupied the Dabei Hall at the back of the temple. These sculptures are smaller in size than the former ones, but are likely quite similar in appearance. The three Buddhas are depicted sitting with legs crossed in front on lotus thrones. The elaborate throne bases are believed to be of the Qing (1644-1911). They each wear a robe draped over the left shoulder that falls diagonally across the front of the torso and under the right arm leaving the chest, right shoulder, and arm exposed. They have curling hair and a jewel-like protuberance on the ushnisha on the top of the head. They are distinguished by the position of their hands. The central Buddha has his right hand reaching forward with fingers pointed downward in the gesture of touching the earth (bhumishparsha mudra). The Buddha to his left has the right hand raised in the gesture of granting absence of fear (abhaya mudra) The Buddha at his right side has both hands has both hands held in front of the chest in gesture of teaching, known as turning the wheel of the law (dharmachakra mudra). The three are identified as The Buddhas of the Three Ages—Shakyamuni (the central historical Buddha), Dipankara (Buddha of the Past), and Maitreya (Buddha of the Future). From the time of Shakyamuni’s life and his teachings to his disciples, the belief in the Buddha as the Enlightened One grew into a religion that spread across Asia and expanded doctrinally to include a universe of many Buddhas of countless ages in time and realms of the universe. The Zhihua Temple sculptures illustrate various aspects of these religious concepts.