Showing  326 - 350 of 419 Records

Showing  326 - 350 of 419 Records
Buddha Triad from Rulai Hall (Rulaidian, Tathagatha Hall or Shakyamuni Hall), Indra Buddha
  • Title Translation: å¦‚ę„ę®æäø‰åœ£ , åøé‡Šå¤©
  • Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
  • Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
  • Work Description: Shakyamuni Buddha is the large central figure, finely carved, covered in gold, and more than four meters high. He displays the same pose as the central Buddha in the Zhihua Hall, with right hand touching the earth in front of him. On the walls around there are countless Buddhist figures set into small niches. Shakyamuni is accompanied by two tall, crowned figures, standing at his sides, who wear long richly ornamented robes, unlike the plain robe of the Buddha. The robes have painted patterns of birds, peonies, dragons, and lions that simulate embroidery and finely woven textiles. The figure at the Buddhaā€™s right or west side is Indra åøé‡Šå¤©, the king of Hindu gods, who holds a large scepter. The one at the Buddhaā€™s left, is the Hindu god Brahma å¤§ę¢µå¤©. The appearance of the Buddha together with Hindu gods Brahma and Indra is very unusual in Chinese Buddhist art, but can be identified with textual accounts of the Buddhaā€™s life. The earth-touching pose, bhumisparsha mudra, is associated with a key event in the prince Sakyamuniā€™s life, his achievement of enlightenment through profound meditation years after renouncing his privileged existence in order to seek the truth. Many depictions of the Buddha in the history of Asian art depict him seated in this pose to represent the moment, when on the verge of attaining enlightenment, the demon god Mara summoned a hoard of subordinate demons to distract him. By touching the earth, Shakyamuni called upon the earth goddess to witness his merit and overcome the demons. In the Rulai Hall, however, Maraā€™s demons are absent. The presence of the gods Brahma and Indra refer not to the moment prior to the enlightenment, but to events following the Buddhaā€™s enlightenment when Brahma and Indra, along with many other gods, came to the Buddha to implore him to show others the way to achieve wisdom in a world full of ignorance. The Buddha therefore began to teach and gathered a following of disciples. After the death or parinirvana of Shakyamuni, different ways of perceiving the historical Buddha emerged, at first a distinction between his physical body and the body of his teachings. The human Buddha, remembered in the stories and at the sites of important events of his life, came to be regarded as a transformational and impermanent form, or nirmanakaya. His disciples began to compile the teachings, and this scriptural canon became associated with the term dharmakaya. Through the development of Buddhism as a religion, dharmakaya took on a higher abstract significance as embodiment of the transcendent and timeless essence of Buddhahood and the basis of all other manifestations of a Buddhaā€™s qualities. The universal nature of Buddhahood is represented in the Wanfo Pavillion by the Vairochana Buddha and the 10,000 small Buddha on the surrounding walls.

Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), coffered ceiling
  • Title Translation: äø‡ä½›é˜å¤©čŠ±äøŽč—»äŗ• , č—»äŗ•
  • 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. The ceiling is carved cypress wood with gold leaf, showing dragon design carved in relief.

Rulai Hall (Rulaidian, Tathagatha Hall or Shakyamuni Hall), ceiling, purlins, and column
  • Title Translation: å¦‚ę„ę®æ , å¤©čŠ±ęæ态ęŖ©ę”å’ŒęŸ±å­
  • Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
  • Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
  • Work Description: The Rulai Hall is named for a title given to the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, from whose enlightenment and teachings the Buddhist religion originated. Rulai Hall has two stories and has approximately nine thousand small niches of Buddhas decorating the wall. The Rulai Hall (Hall of Śākyamuni) is on the first floor and the Wanfo Pavilion (Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion) is on the secondā€”enclosed by walls on its east and west.

Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), pagoda from tiangong louge
  • Title Translation: äø‡ä½›é˜å¤©čŠ±äøŽč—»äŗ• , å¤©å®«ę„¼é˜å®å””
  • 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. The ceiling is carved cypress wood with gold leaf, showing dragon design carved in relief.

Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), central ceiling well
  • Title Translation: äø‡ä½›é˜å¤©čŠ±äøŽč—»äŗ• , äø­å¤®č—»äŗ•
  • 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. The ceiling is carved cypress wood with gold leaf, showing dragon design carved in relief.

Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Chinese Galleries
  • Title Translation: äø‡ä½›é˜å¤©čŠ±äøŽč—»äŗ• , ēŗ³å°”逊Ā·é˜æē‰¹é‡‘ę–Æč‰ŗęœÆ博ē‰©é¦†äø­å›½é¦†
  • 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. The ceiling is carved cypress wood with gold leaf, showing dragon design carved in relief.

Zhihua Hall (Zhihuadian, Hall of Transforming Wisdom), interior
  • Title Translation: ę™ŗ化ę®æ , 内éƒØ
  • Period: Ming, c. 1444 C.E.
  • Project: Beijing Zhihua Temple
  • Work Description: The Zhihua Hall is a 3-bay-by-3-bay structure (18 x 14.5 meters) with a hip-and-gable roof. It initially housed a Buddha triad with the Śākyamuni Buddha at the center along with eighteen Arhats. The only four interior columns form a spacious central bay before the altar for visitors to see and worship the Buddhas. Above this central area is where the grand coffered ceiling (approx. 5 x 5 meters), now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was initially installed.

Coffered Ceiling from Wanfo Pavilion (Wanfoge, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion), 3D reconstruction still image
  • Title Translation: äø‡ä½›é˜å¤©čŠ±äøŽč—»äŗ• , 3D重å»ŗēš„é™ę€å›¾åƒ
  • 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. The ceiling is carved cypress wood with gold leaf, showing dragon design carved in relief.

Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), coffered ceiling
  • Title Translation: 大ę™ŗę®æ , č—»äŗ•
  • 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 MaƱjuśrÄ« 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.

Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), coffered ceiling
  • Title Translation: 大ę™ŗę®æ , č—»äŗ•
  • 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 MaƱjuśrÄ« 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.

Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), Manjusuri
  • Title Translation: 大ę™ŗę®æ , ꖇꮊ
  • 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 MaƱjuśrÄ« 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.

Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), three seated bodhisattvas
  • Title Translation: 大ę™ŗę®æ , ꙮ蓤
  • 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 MaƱjuśrÄ« 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.

Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), Samantabhadra
  • Title Translation: 大ę™ŗę®æ , ꖇꮊ
  • 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 MaƱjuśrÄ« 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.

Dazhi Hall (Dazhidian, Hall of Great Wisdom), altar
  • Title Translation: 大ę™ŗę®æ , ē„­å›
  • 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 MaƱjuśrÄ« 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: ę™ŗ化ę®æå¤©čŠ±äøŽč—»äŗ• , ē ”ē©¶å°ē»„čæ›č”Œę‰«ę
  • 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 axisā€”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 (1662ā€“1722).

Lower Guangsheng Temple, front hall (or former Buddha's Temple), interior
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 前ę®æ(ęˆ–å‰ä½›åÆŗ)ć€å†…éƒØ
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, back hall (or Daxiong Bodian), faƧade
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 后ę®æ (即大雄宝ę®æ), ę­£é¢
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, back hall (or Daxiong Bodian), west wall and Buddha Triad
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 后ę®æ (即大雄宝ę®æ), č„æ墙和佛äø‰å°Š
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, back hall (or Daxiong Bodian), faƧade
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 后ę®æ (即大雄宝ę®æ), ę­£é¢
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, back hall (or Daxiong Bodian), interior
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 后ę®æ (即大雄宝ę®æ), 内éƒØ
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Water God's Temple (Shuishen Temple) of the Guangsheng Monastery, courtyard
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜åÆŗę°“ē„žåŗ™ , åŗ­é™¢
  • Period: Eastern Han, Ming, 147 C.E., 1368-1644 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The Water God's Temple has two yards: the front yard and the back yard, and includes the Temple Gate, the Door of Amenity, the Ming Ying King Hall and wing-rooms of cave dwellings. The Ming Ying King Hall is 5-bay wide and 5-bay long with a cloister around and a double-eaved gable hip roof. Beams inside are of common style. The hall houses statues of Water God Ming Ying King and his eleven attendants. Their facial features, clothes and gestures are all of Yuan style. Frescoes about people praying for the rain and other historical stories covered the walls, occupying an area of 197 square meters. The pictures of dramas at the eastern end of the south wall show a complete set of stage property for the performers: costumes, stage instruments, musical instruments, makeup, curtain, stage, and so on. The drawing was strictly arranged, the color was simple but profound, and dramatis personae were expressive. This fresco reflects the true condition of Yuan Drama in its peak time; it is a rare fine work of Yuan frescoes in China.

Water God's Temple (Shuishen Temple) of the Guangsheng Monastery, relief
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜åÆŗę°“ē„žåŗ™ , 굮雕
  • Period: Eastern Han, Ming, 147 C.E., 1368-1644 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The Water God's Temple has two yards: the front yard and the back yard, and includes the Temple Gate, the Door of Amenity, the Ming Ying King Hall and wing-rooms of cave dwellings. The Ming Ying King Hall is 5-bay wide and 5-bay long with a cloister around and a double-eaved gable hip roof. Beams inside are of common style. The hall houses statues of Water God Ming Ying King and his eleven attendants. Their facial features, clothes and gestures are all of Yuan style. Frescoes about people praying for the rain and other historical stories covered the walls, occupying an area of 197 square meters. The pictures of dramas at the eastern end of the south wall show a complete set of stage property for the performers: costumes, stage instruments, musical instruments, makeup, curtain, stage, and so on. The drawing was strictly arranged, the color was simple but profound, and dramatis personae were expressive. This fresco reflects the true condition of Yuan Drama in its peak time; it is a rare fine work of Yuan frescoes in China.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, front hall (or former Buddha's Temple), mural remain
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 前ę®æ(ęˆ–å‰ä½›åÆŗ)ć€å£ē”»é—čæ¹
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, back hall (or Daxiong Bodian), mural fragments
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 后ę®æ (即大雄宝ę®æ), 壁ē”»ē¢Žē‰‡
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.

Lower Guangsheng Temple, back hall (or Daxiong Bodian), east wall
  • Title Translation: å¹æ胜äø‹åÆŗ , 后ę®æ (即大雄宝ę®æ), äøœå¢™
  • Period: Eastern Han, Yuan, 147 C.E., 1271-1368 C.E.
  • Project: Guangsheng Temple Murals
  • Work Description: The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall (or Daxiong Temple), the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall (or Daxiong Temple) was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Murals were once covered on the walls, but they were removed and shipped to the United States in 1928. The mural on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.