China News Service, Yuncheng, September 26 (Gao Ruifeng) If you want to see colored sculptures in temples, come to Shanxi.

Since the Tang Dynasty, the relics of colored sculptures in Shanxi, spanning 13 centuries, are known throughout the country in terms of number and skill.

  Shanxi is rich in ancient architecture resources, and the colored sculptures of the past dynasties are extensively involved in it. According to public information, there are more than 10,000 existing colored sculptures, which are known as "the treasure house of ancient Chinese colored sculpture mural art".

On the 26th, the reporter visited the Fusheng Temple, a thousand-year-old temple in southern Shanxi. There are more than 20 colored sculptures of Song (Liao, Jin), Yuan, and Ming periods in the main hall of the temple.

Among them, Duhai Guanyin Suspended Plastic is particularly fine.

Shanxi Xinjiang colored sculptures constitute a complete and orderly colored sculpture art system. The picture shows the statue of the main statue in the main hall of Fusheng Temple, Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province.

Photo courtesy of Fusheng Temple Cultural Management Office

  Fusheng Temple is located in the north of Guangcun Village, Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province. It sits from north to south. The archway of the mountain gate is shaped like a single eaves hanging mountain. Stepping into the mountain gate, there are mountain gates, Tianwang Hall, Mi Tuo Hall, and Hou Hall from front to back. .

Pass through the Palace of Heavenly Kings and walk along the central axis through the archways built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.

  "The temple of Amitabha is a relic from the Yuan Dynasty observed from the architectural form. The center of the temple is Amitabha, with Guanshiyin and Dashi to separate sides. On the back of the statue of Amitabha are a group of hanging sculptures such as Guanyin crossing the sea, the boy of good fortune, the king of the Ming, and the supporters. Sixteen arhats and the four heavenly kings sit around the Buddhist platforms on both sides." Xie Yuxia, director of the Fusheng Temple Cultural Management Office, introduced.

  Three Buddha statues and six Bodhisattvas are enshrined in the Three Buddha Caves in the apse. They are currently in a sealed state and cannot be seen.

Xie Yuxia said that Fusheng Temple was built during the Zhenguan period of Tang Dynasty. According to the existing stone stele in the temple, "The Chronicles of the Reconstruction of Fushengyuan in Jindading", the sentence "It was the beginning of the Great Qi Tiantong (565-569)", the history of the temple can be Pushed to the Northern Qi Tiantong period.

  The statue of the main statue is placed on the left leg with the left hand, the right hand is pointed upwards, and the expression is printed, with a calm expression; the big bodhisattva wears a stone green drape on the shoulders of the bodhisattva, and wears a red skin-hung long skirt. The dress has fine and realistic patterns; the head of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Wearing a crown with high nose and soft lips, a breast with enamels, a long skirt and heels, and distinct pleated folds; a crown with a crown on the top of the Suspension Avalokitesvara Crossing the Sea, a ring with a ring, and a beautiful and realistic face.

  "From the overall style and artistic treatment of the main statue, it is inferred that it should be in the Song (Liao) period; the upper left corner of the Guanyin Suspended Sculpture of Crossing the Sea is inscribed on June 13th, the second year of Zhizhi, and the production date is the Yuan Dynasty. In 1322, the sixteen arhats and the four heavenly kings were all colored sculptures of the Ming Dynasty.” Xie Yuxia introduced that Fusheng Temple colored sculptures have typical characteristics of Buddhist colored sculptures in the Song, Yuan, and Ming periods.

The picture shows the gate of Fusheng Temple in Xinjiang, Shanxi.

Photo courtesy of Fusheng Temple Cultural Management Office

  In terms of the distribution of the colored sculptures of temples in Shanxi, Datong and Shuozhou mostly preserved statues from the Liao and Jin periods, Xinzhou preserved statues from the Tang, Song (gold), Ming, and Qing periods, and most preserved statues in Taiyuan, Jinzhong, and Yangquan are from the Song and Ming Dynasties. During the period, Linfen and Yuncheng preserved statues mostly from the Yuan and Ming periods; Changzhi, Jincheng and Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods have preserved statues.

  Xie Yuxia said, “Fusheng Temple's colored sculptures are exquisite in craftsmanship. Among them, the high relief technique is used for the background of the Guanyin Hanging Sea Crossing. Rare, it is an isolated case in the Hedong area."

  The development of Shanxi colored sculptures from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty has never stopped, forming a complete and orderly colored sculpture art system with unique artistic value.

The nobility of Tang, the elegance of Song, the warrior of Liao, Jin, and Yuan, and the secularism of Ming and Qing dynasties embodies the spirit of each era and are also the epitome of the artistic characteristics of an era.

  "Colored sculptures retain a lot of precious historical information in terms of building regulations, Buddhist figures, and costumes." Xie Yuxia said, taking Fusheng Temple's Crossing Guanyin Hang as an example, it is not only a study of Yuan Dynasty sculpture art and ancient Chinese plastic art processing. The important specimens of composition techniques are of great significance to the study of the spread and localization history of Buddhism in the Yuan Dynasty in southern Shanxi.

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