Appreciation of the Collections in Wuhai Museum

The mighty Yellow River flows northward, and the first stop upon entering Inner Mongolia is Wuhai City. Wuhai City is a young city, a city that has prospered because of coal, and is known as the "Sea of Black Gold." The Yellow River Haibowan Water Conservancy Project is located in Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, along the main stream of the Yellow River. The left bank of the project is the Ulan Buh Desert, and the right bank is Wuhai City, a new industrial city in Inner Mongolia. This hub consists of an earth-rock dam, downstream energy dissipation facilities, a power station, and a sand discharge tunnel switch station. Wuhai Museum is located within the Wuhai Science and Technology Museum. Although it is not large in area and has few collections, the introductions to the collections are detailed. Here are a few recommended collections from the museum. Hu People Playing with Lion Brick Carving The Hu People Playing with Lion Brick Carving is a rectangular brick, finely textured and hard. The carver used high relief techniques, with exquisite craftsmanship and vivid shapes, making it a building decorative component. Upon close inspection, the brick carving shows a window on the brick surface, with one person and one lion carved inside, surrounded by decorative clouds and flowers. The Hu person wears a conical felt hat, has thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, a broad mouth, and a beard. He wears a short-sleeved long shirt with a belt at the waist, raises his left hand, holds a ball in his right hand, and swings it forward. He wears long pants and short boots, stands with his left leg slightly bent and his right leg raised high, kicking forward to the left, dancing and playing with the lion. The lion has round eyes, an open mouth, a long tongue sticking out, flowing mane, a strong and powerful waist and back, a raised tail, slightly bent hind legs, and front paws pouncing forward, interacting lively and enthusiastically with the Hu person. Bronze Basin with Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove Pattern The Bronze Basin with Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove Pattern is a Qing Dynasty artifact. The bottom diameter of the basin is 35.8 cm, the mouth diameter is 52.5 cm, and the height is 11.3 cm. The basin has a straight belly and a flat bottom. The wide folded edge is entirely engraved with six crabapple flower-shaped openwork designs, with patterns of plum blossoms, peonies, bamboo, chrysanthemums, lotuses, and orchids inside the openwork. Between the openwork designs are six different characters such as "Wang" and "Gong." Upon close observation, the center of the basin is engraved with a scene of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove playing chess. During the Wei and Jin periods, some literati and scholars lived in seclusion in the mountains, indulging in nature and living a life detached from the mundane world. At that time, Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Ruan Xian, Shan Tao, and Wang Rong often gathered in the mountains and forests, ignoring worldly affairs, composing poems, playing chess, and playing the zither, known as the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove." The outer ring of the basin bottom is decorated with fluttering butterfly patterns. This basin is decorated using the engraving technique, with delicate carvings, smooth and natural lines, and vivid and exquisite pictures, making it a fine example of similar craftworks. Bronze Statues of Tsongkhapa and His Two Disciples In Tibetan Buddhism, the statues of Tsongkhapa, Gyatso Je, and Khedrub Je are collectively known as the "Three Masters and Disciples." The Wuhai Museum's collection of bronze statues of Tsongkhapa and his two disciples shows different expressions. The three statues are placed together, with Tsongkhapa in the center at the back. Tsongkhapa sits in a vajra posture on a lotus seat, wearing a yellow pandit hat, with eyes slightly lowered, a round face, a serene expression, wearing monastic robes, with both hands forming the teaching mudra at the chest. Originally, there were a Prajnaparamita Sutra and a wisdom sword inserted on both sides of his shoulders, which are now lost. In front of him are his two disciples, Gyatso Je and Khedrub Je, both wearing monastic robes. The left hand holding a scripture is lost, and the right hand forms the teaching mudra, sitting on a square pedestal. Gyatso Je, Tsongkhapa's senior disciple, was a disciple of the Sakya school and later became a disciple of Tsongkhapa. When Tsongkhapa passed away, he was given the robe and hat, making him the second throne holder of Ganden Monastery. Tsongkhapa's second disciple, Khedrub Je, became the third throne holder of Ganden Monastery after Gyatso Je stepped down. After the establishment of the Panchen Lama system, he was posthumously recognized as the first Panchen Lama. Gyatso Je and Khedrub Je, as Tsongkhapa's two major assistants, played a foundational role in the establishment of the Gelug school.