The Eighteen Arhats painted sculptures from the Ming Dynasty in the Millennium Zishou Temple

The Eighteen Arhats of Zishou Temple are arranged on both sides of the Three Great Bodhisattvas, with nine statues on each side. Except for two boys which are standing statues, the rest are sitting statues. Their height is between 1.1 meters and 1.3 meters, similar to the proportions of real people. The expressions of the 18 colored sculptures are different, and the movements are unique. Generally speaking, the Eighteen Arhats of Zishou Temple have round and full heads, plump bodies, fair skin, and most of them are bald. Their clothes are neat with smooth lines, and there are gold-plated patterns on the collars and sleeves. Among all the statues, the combination of the Ear-Picking Arhat and the boy is the most brilliant. The Ear-Picking Arhat sits on the stage, with his left hand on the boy's right shoulder, his right arm raised to almost horizontal, his right little finger extended to his right ear, with the other four fingers bent, his body slightly leaning forward, and his head slightly tilted to the left and front. The whole ear-picking action is extremely natural and reasonable, making people want to imitate it. The boy held the pot in his left hand and bent his right arm, as if he was about to reach out to take the cup to pour water for the arhat, but he did not dare to move for fear of hurting him. The two of them cooperate very well and their relationship is very subtle. Another sculpture showing the relationship between a monk and a boy is even more eye-catching. The boy's right hand was seen resting on the left arm of the middle-aged arhat. From the smiling expressions of both parties, one could see a kind of spiritual understanding between them, which was very intriguing.