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Published: January 20th 2008
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Spectacular and colorful entrance- "pailou" to the Lama temple in Beijing.
The pailou, or paifang, is a memorial or decorative archway. It can be made of wood, brick, or stone, and at times with glazed tiles. It often bears 4 Chinese characters as an edifying inscription. Pailou were erected at crossroads, temples, bridges, government offices, parks, and tombs, and can be seen in the largest cities to the smallest villages. This one, at the entrance of the Lama Temple, is one of the most spectacular I have seen around China. For over two thousand years, the Chinese have used the "same" architectural model of construction for both imperial and religious buildings. Such construction consists of three elements: 1. A platform, 2. Post-and beam timber frames, and 3. Non-loadbearing walls.
Standard features of these imperial building complexes include a front gate, four-sided enclosures or courtyards, and a series of halls in a linear formation running from the South to the North.
This is the reason that visitors and tourists to various parts of China, and I am one of them, often become confused about which temples and halls they are seeing, compared to the ones they might have already viewed only the previous day.
This common theme of Chinese royal architecture makes these structures look similar, no matter which part of the country or which city you or I may visit. It is certainly something I struggle with during my journeys to the quantities of temples and numerous imperial structures around China.
Most of these Chinese imperial structures were built of wood, but because wooden buildings tend to catch fire, only a few original complexes remain. The earliest of these date from the Tang period, some 1,500 years
The Lama Temple lion
The lion is a symbol of well-being and an assured future in China. This lion is a female, recognized by lion-cub below her paw. A male is usually symbolized with a ball below the paw. ago, and rest have been destroyed by flames, though re-build again and again, maintaining the same styles of construction.
And so imperial and religious buildings in most of China conformed to a set of rules about their proportions. This uniform architecture created a sense of identity for all the Chinese, no matter in what part of the expansive empire they may have lived. This common style of architecture was useful and important in a large, disparate, and diverse country such as imperial China, bringing the various tribes and minorities from the far corners of the empire under a "common roof".
As you have viewed my various TravelBlogs, and as you have seen the photos of the many imperial and religious halls I have visited throughout the country, you also will have noticed, that the "Chinese halls", also referred to as "tang", do follow the same patterns. For the multitudes of pilgrims, and the millions of tourists, or just a simple visitor like me, these "tang" in the various cities and monasteries around the P.R.C. also make it difficult to distinguish their names and their locations within China.
Especially the Ming- and Qing Dynasty-architecture and their design of
Ancient tripod bronze-vessel for offerings grace most temples around China.
In modern times, these giant vessels are rarely used for offerings of incense, except perhaps during major temple celebrations. halls (tang) have consistenly followed these same patterns: A platform of rammed earth or stone, giving it a sense of monumentality, surroundet by timber columns arranged in a grid. The length of the hall always has an "odd" number of bays to emphasize the processional element, as they are centered by a larger doorway-entrance. Between the columns and the beams are brackets (dougong) that support the structure, permitting the traditional eaves to overhang, making the building look so "Chinese".
The bracket or "dougong" transmits the load from roof to columns and is traditionally "nail-free". It is what gives it that wonderfully ornamental, traditionally Chinese, construction-method-look. The timber is then brightly painted, usually in red. The roof is aesthetically curved, then tiled or thatched.
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In the next THREE TravelBlog-photo-journal-entries (#93, #94, and #95), as you are now more familiar with this ancient Chinese-construction information, permit me to take you on separate visits to THREE of the great temples in and around China's capitol, Beijing. Though the architecture of the structures in the photos may look similar to you (and to me), it is their location, their geographical surroundings, and their purpose that make each of these temples unique.
Characteristic "flying eaves"
Storied pavilions such as this one were used for storage of objects such as bells and drums or stele. ****************************************************************
PART ONE: THE LAMA TEMPLE
Located within the city of Beijing, the Lama Temple (Yonghegong) was constructed during the 17th Century and became a lamasery in 1744. Its five main halls are constructed in a blend of Han, Mongol, and Tibetan motifs and architecture. It was built in 1694 as the residence of Yongzheng, the son of Emperor Kangxi, who lived here until the time he became the new emperor.
It was an imperial tradition, that the former home of an Emperor was converted into a temple, and in this case the residence of Yonzheng became a monastery for Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist monks, and is known to visitors as the Lama Temple.
The Lama Temple was closed down during the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao, a time when much of China's tradional reliques were facing destruction by the student movement inspired by Chairman Mao. The monastery was saved from destruction by then Deputy Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, one of the most respected leaders of China, a moderating force in guiding the PRC since its founding in 1949.
The Lama Temple re-opened in 1980 and became a functioning monastery once again, settled and serviced
Prayer wheel is turned clock-wise.
Turned clock-wise, the prayer wheels are typical to Tibetan Buddhism, and seen around temples. You may remember them from my entry during my visit to Tibet, where they line the streets of the pilgrims. They contain scriptures of the sutras. by Buddhist monks arriving from Mongolia.
This spectacular temple-complex is sprinkled withy lovely gardens, and wonderful pavilions containing superb and detailed interiors. Five of these great halls stand out among all of the structures within the courtyards and monastery grounds.
It is not possible to take photos within these pavilions, and I hope my descriptions do their content some justice.
In the Hall of Celestial Kings, giant guardians flank a lovely, smiling Buddha, who is laughing, rotund, and quite plump, as we often imagine the Buddha in the West. The Laughing Buddha (Milego), is also known as the "Future Buddha". His large belly and laughing face are signs of abundance, and he is worshiped in the hopes of a happy and affluent life.
The Laughing Buddha is back-to-back with Wei Tuo, the Protector of the Buddhist Doctrine, and flanked by the Four Heavenly Kings. Kings of "The Four Directions" guard the entrance to many temples protecting the main deity from evil influences.
The next hall, the Hall of Eternal Harmony, has three manifestations of Buddhas accompanied by 18 deciples (luohan), who represent those freed from the cycle of rebirth. Their holiness is thought to enable
This vessel of worship accepts the throw of coins from the pilgrims.
The grounds of the temples are sprinkled with various vessels of worship and trees, that add to the harmony surrounding the paths of visitors and pilgrims. them to achieve extinction (nirvana) on death, and appear in temples usually in groups of 18.
Behond the next courtyard lie the Hall of Eternal Protection, and the Tibetan-styled Falun Hall or the Hall of the Wheel of Law (the law being the cycle of death and rebirth). It contains a statue of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the well-known Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
The final hall, the Wanfu Pavilion, contains a 75-ft high statue of Maitreya, also a future Buddha, carved in the mid-18th century from a single sandalwood tree from Tibet, who is also flanked by guardian-kings. There are usually 4 Guardian Kings, one for each direction, who guard the entrance of temples, as they protect the temple-deity from evil influences.
A wonderful figure of a god with at least 30 hands is the focus of the Esoteric Hall on the temple's east side and was used as a place of scholarship for the study of Buddhist scriptures. There is an exhibition of Tibetan Buddhist objects at the temple's rear, including statues of deities, alongside ritual objects such as a scepter-like thunderbolt and bells, the symbols of the male and female energies.
The
A view of tranquility.
Multi-story buildings in China predate pagodas and varied from two-storied private homes to huge seven- or more storied towers, often built to enjoy the scenery. Lama Temple (Yonghegong), located within the city of Beijing, is undoubtedly the liveliest funtioning temple in the Chinese capital. I found it colorful and exciting, redolent of encense and just as popular with worshipers as is seems with the tourists.
This is part 1 of a 3 part journal entry giving you a glimpse into three temples located in and around Beijing. It is not possible to take photos on the inside of the Lama Temple. It is a holy site for many pilgrims, though the Temple-grounds are covered by hundreds of tourist through-out the day, there are a large number of worshippers to be respected.
As always, your questions, thoughts, and comments are appreciated. They give encouragement in sharing with you this photo-journey through this incredible country called, China.
I hope you find the time to enlarge the photos for their greater details.
The next entry (#94) will introduce the TanZhe Temple, about 30 miles West of Beijing.
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Mirgel
non-member comment
Cool
Love how much the green and the red bring the life out of that place, very colorful. Can't say the same about your hair though, has it been that many years already that you have a full head of white hair? No worries if you saw me, you'd prolly taunt me about my shaved head LOL hey send me some dumplings =D haha