Nanchan Temple is a small temple in the mountains and a national treasure

If Nanchan Temple could talk, it would probably be a grumpy old man. It is 75 years older than Foguang Temple, but it is hidden in the mountains and not well known. The number of visitors is far less than that of Foguang Temple, which is 50 km away. Of course, as a folk work, the scale and level of Nanchan Temple are far from the royal style of Foguang Temple, so it is understandable that it is less famous. However, it has also experienced two terrible robberies and a controversial restoration project, so it is also said to be "unrecognizable." After the replacement of components from inside to outside, people question whether it can still be regarded as the original Tang structure. Looking at the old pictures of Nanchan Temple, the length of the eaves, the presence or absence of dwarf columns, the style of the chiwei, the form of the front eaves doors and windows, and the removal of the side halls are all different from the appearance after restoration. However, in the 1,200 years, Nanchan Temple has experienced reconstruction and multiple repairs in different dynasties. In a sense, the current Nanchan Temple, which has been restored according to the Tang structure, may be closer to its original appearance, but it seems that it is impossible to refute the claim that it is a "Tang structure in imagination." In any case, Nanchan Temple is still worth a visit. After driving through the winding mountain road, a simple and ancient Tang temple looms in the mountains and fields, which is also a pleasant moment in the journey of visiting ancient times. Not to mention that there are indeed very wonderful Tang Dynasty colored sculptures in the temple. Personally, I think they are much more beautiful than the re-colored sculptures in Foguang Temple. The plump and graceful figure, vivid and lifelike expressions and postures really bring the aesthetics of the Tang people into full play. No wonder it is said that the Tang sculptures in Nanchan Temple are no less than those in the Mogao Grottoes. They come from the folk, but they can also be so elegant and graceful, extremely inclusive. It is worthy of the Tang Dynasty! There are statues of Liao Man and Fulim leading lions and elephants and two boys looking up. This group of statues is vivid and lifelike, leaving a deep impression. There are 14 colored sculptures, originally 17, and the 3 stolen ones have not been found yet. What is even more infuriating is that the main target of the thieves was the hidden objects, so they also rudely dug open the chest of the Buddha statue and stole the cultural relics inside the Buddha statue. They are also missing. Although it is slim, I still hope that one day these stolen national treasures can return to Nanchan Temple and let the 17 colored sculptures gather together again.