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Qiongzhu Temple
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Qiongzhu Temple is a famous and important
temple in Kunming. The most impressive features in this temple
are the 500 Arhat sculptures, of which 216 are in the Tiantailai
Hall and another 216 ate in Fanyin Hall, and 68 are in the
Daxiong Grand Hall. An Arhat in Hinayana is one who has reached
the final stage of Buddhism while an Arhat in Mahayana is
one second to Buddha and Bodhisattva. Compared with Bodhisattvas,
Arhats look more like human beings than Gods, and therefore
they are popular among the common people and monks. That is
why there are many Arhat temples and halls in China .The first
500-Arhat temple was built in the East Jin dynasty and enjoyed
its best days in the Qing dynasty .There are 18 such temples
and caves in China, of which the Biyun Temple in Beijing,
the Xiyuan Temple in Suzhou, the Baoguang Temple in Xindu
and the Qiongzhu Temple in Kunming are the most famous .The
Arhat sculptures in the Qiongzhu Temple are well-known for
their vivid expressions and artistic characteristics and are
regarded as the gem of Oriental sculpture in this temple and
have their photographs on file. These sculpture were modeled
between 1883 and 1890 by Li Guangxiu (a well-known folk sculptor
) and his six pupils who were invited by Chief Monk Mengfo
of the Qiongzhu Temple.
As far as Buddhism is concerned, the 500
Arhat sculptures have the following characteristics: They
ate like men on Earth rather than Buddhism in Heaven. Among
them there are emperors, governors, warriors, scholars,
beggars, actors, farmers, fishermen and other ordinary people.
It seems that each Arhat is familiar to all of us and this
shows originality in Li Guangxiu' artistic creation of the
traditional Arhats. The image that an emperor sits by ordinary
people or a beggar talks to a nobleman embodies the quintessence
of the Zen doctrine: Everyone is created equal and can become
a Buddha through practicing Buddhism.
The 500 Arhat sculptures in the Qiongzhu
Temple can be divided into two groups, one being closely
related to realism and the other to romanticism. Most of
the Arhat sculptures belong to the first group with Mad
Monk and Crazy Monk Jigong as the representatives. Through
the creation of different Arhats, Li Guandxiu reveals the
happiness and misery of mankind and the different outlook
of different men. Their vivid expressions and poses are
contrary to the traditional creation of Arhats. These Arhat
sculptures, either in a sitting or standing position or
in meditation, or engaged in painting or reading, are closely
related to the life on Earth rather than that in Heaven
.Most of the 68 Arhat sculptures in the Daxiong Grand Hall
belong to the second group . Li Guangxiu' s bold exaggeration
and vivid imagination in his artistic creation ate of romantic
nature: Some of them ate riding on the magic mists, clouds,
dragons or tigers; one is trying to get the moon with his
long arms; another long-legged on is walking in the ocean....
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