Shanxi's 1,400-year-old ancient temple, with its stunningly beautiful colored sculptures, has already shocked the world.
😎Hey, friends! Shanxi is known as the hometown of ancient buildings, carrying a heavy history and culture. With the popularity of "Black Myth: Wukong", Shanxi has once again become the focus of attention, and Pingyao Shuanglin Temple has also entered people's field of vision. Today, I will tell you about this charming ancient temple.
Shuanglin Temple was built in the second year of Wuping in the Northern Qi Dynasty (571 AD), and has been rebuilt many times. From the outside, it looks like a castle, surrounded by rammed earth walls, and it is extraordinary. 🏰
I. Origin and Reconstruction:
😃It is speculated that Shuanglin Temple may have existed during the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Northern Qi Wuping period (386-571 AD). First, it was originally named "Zhongdu Temple", located in Zhongdu County set up in the Western Han Dynasty; second, since the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD), Buddhism was introduced into Pingyao, and the Buddhist atmosphere here was strong; third, the stone tablet in the temple recorded that the Northern Qi Dynasty The second year of Wuping (571 AD) was rebuilt. From this, it can be basically judged that Shuanglin Temple was created during the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Northern Qi Dynasty. 💪
II. The origin of the name:
😃There is a very meaningful story hidden here. According to Buddhist scriptures, when Buddha Shakyamuni was 80 years old, he knew that his life was about to end, so he came to a river near the ancient Indian city of Kushinagar, placed a rope bed in the middle of two sala trees in all directions, and lay down on his side with his right hand as a pillow. Enter the "Great Nirvana", that is, bid farewell to the world. This is what Buddhism calls "Shuanglin Ruomie". Around the Song Dynasty, Zhongdu Temple was renamed Shuanglin Temple. 👏
The layout of the temple is complete, with ten halls, divided into three courtyards. The west side is the temple, along the central axis are the Heavenly King Hall, Shijia Hall, Daxiong Hall, Buddha Mother Hall, etc. 😃There are four Vajras under the eaves of the Heavenly King Hall in the front yard. The image is unique. Unlike the terrifying Vajras in general temples, the Vajras here are bold and bold, and they are very "human". 👍Inside the Shijia Hall, Shakyamuni sits high in the middle, with Manjusri and Samantabhadra on both sides. The murals on the four walls of the hall show the story of Shakyamuni from birth to Nirvana, and then to preaching and saving all beings. The Daxiong Hall in the middle courtyard is the tallest building in the temple. There are also Niangniang Hall and Zhenyi Shrine in the backyard. 😉
The most amazing thing about Shuanglin Temple is the more than 2,000 exquisite ancient painted clay sculptures. 😲These colored sculptures are distinctive, highly realistic, inherit the fine traditions of the Tang, Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan periods, and are excellent works in the Ming Dynasty statues in China. For example, the Weituo statue, the whole body is "S"-shaped, rigid and soft, dynamic in static, radiant, full of vitality, and Professor Qian Shaowu of the Central Academy of Fine Arts praised it as the "crown of Weituo in the country". There is also the Guanyin of the Sea, sitting on a red lotus platform, surrounded by waves, forming a sharp contrast with the background, and the artistic effect of static and dynamic is extremely shocking. 😍
As one of the locations of "Black Myth: Wukong", Shuanglin Temple has attracted many people after the popularity of this game, making people realize its unique charm. The architectural style and colored sculpture art here provide super rich inspiration and materials for game creation. If you are a game enthusiast, or interested in ancient art, then Shuanglin Temple is definitely a good place not to be missed. 😉Hurry up and check in! 💖