Design Scheme for Buddhist Architecture Investigation Route of Jiuhuashan Global Geopark

Design Scheme for Buddhist Architecture Investigation Route of Jiuhuashan Global Geopark

I. Historical Background of Buddhist Architecture in Jiuhuashan

Jiuhuashan is not only beautiful in mountains and rivers but also rich in outstanding people and spiritual energy; since the Jin Dynasty when the Indian monk Beidu built a thatched hut in Jiuhuashan, Buddhism was officially introduced here, multiplying and developing to this day, with the historical context of Buddhist culture never interrupted. For thousands of years, Buddhism has prospered without decline in Jiuhuashan, multiplying and developing, and nurturing a profound regional culture. The Buddhist architecture in the Jiuhuashan area was mainly formed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, mainly for the following reasons: first, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a period of political stability and economic prosperity, Buddhism was supported by the central government; second, the local wealthy squires had strong economic power and strongly advocated Buddhism; third, as a famous Buddhist mountain, Jiuhuashan has had an endless stream of pilgrims and tourists since the Song Dynasty. The increase in pilgrims and tourists brought great economic prosperity; especially during the peak period of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jiuhuashan Buddhism greatly influenced the vast areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Economic prosperity and strong financial resources were reflected in religion as monks continuously expanded the scale of temples; according to the "Jiuhuashan Chronicle": during the peak period, there were more than 300 temples and more than 5,000 monks. These temples are distributed along various traffic arteries and corners of Jiuhuashan, forming a uniquely charming religious architectural landscape.

II. Characteristics of Buddhist Temple Architecture in Jiuhuashan

Since Buddhism was introduced to China, it has integrated with the inherent local civilization over the long river of history, gradually becoming an inseparable and important part of China's excellent traditional culture, and at the same time forming a dazzling Buddhist culture. After Buddhism was introduced to Jiuhuashan in the Jin Dynasty, through continuous multiplication and development, the Jiuhuashan scenic area became one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China. Because Buddhist teachings were conducive to the implementation of the ruling class's statecraft, Buddhism developed rapidly in Jiuhuashan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Through the painstaking management of generations of monks and the creation of skilled craftsmen, the temple architecture of Jiuhuashan has obvious regional characteristics and a unique architectural style.

1. From the perspective of architectural features, they are closely integrated with the terrain, built leaning on the mountains, reflecting the Taoist thought of letting nature take its course.

         Ancient temples in Jiuhuashan are mostly built on ridges or cliffs, either hidden or exposed; temples built on exposed cliffs allow people to see them from far away. This is the case for temples such as Baisui Palace, Tiantai Temple, Ancient Baijingtai, and Dongya Zen Temple, which prominently display height and solemnity, making people feel respect upon looking at them. Hidden temples are mostly built among mountain peaks and valleys, surrounded by ancient trees and green shade, and cannot be seen until you are right in front of them. These temple buildings basically do not destroy the original environment and are built according to the terrain, with most architectural styles taking the form of residential houses. Temples such as Shangchan Hall, Ganlu Temple, Huiju Temple, and the Minyuan Nunnery communities are like this; these temples are mostly built in high mountains and steep hills or in the bamboo sea, with slate steps passing around the temples. When people are winding through the mountains and rivers, suddenly a temple stands in front of them, giving them a bright and enlightened feeling, while also highlighting the mystery and solemnity of Buddhism.

2. From the perspective of architectural form and appearance, the styling is solemn and beautiful, harmoniously blending with the surrounding environment.

In the Jiuhuashan Global Geopark, six ancient temples—Huacheng Temple, Flesh Palace, Zhiyuan Temple, Baisui Palace, Ganlu Temple, and Huiju Temple—are "Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units". These large-scale ancient temple buildings mostly adopt palace-style architecture, or use a palace style for the main building and Huizhou-style architecture for auxiliary facilities. Except for the six provincial cultural relic protection unit temples, other temple buildings are heavily influenced by Huizhou-style architecture. Ancient Huizhou had developed commerce and economic prosperity; the architectural features formed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties had a huge influence on the surrounding areas. Huizhou-style architecture, under the basic form of wooden structures, features gorgeousness and heaviness, mainly reflected in wood carvings, stone carvings, and brick carvings. The architecture of Buddhist temples in Jiuhuashan is deeply influenced by Huizhou-style architecture. Except for the palace style, the residential-style temple buildings in Jiuhuashan are mostly identical to Huizhou-style architecture or slightly modified. In detailed processing, they mostly adopt the basic techniques of Huizhou-style architecture; residential-style buildings mostly adopt the form of horse-head walls and fire-sealing walls on the exterior, with white walls and brown tiles. Patios are set inside to achieve ventilation and lighting effects, which is no different from local residential courtyards. However, the detail processing is much more complex than that of residential buildings. The gables and horse-head walls are mostly painted with ink paintings or line drawings. Another characteristic of the Huizhou-style ancient temple architecture in Jiuhuashan is that, from the perspective of architectural scale, due to the influence of financial resources, transportation, and manual transportation factors at the time, except for Huacheng Temple, the scale is generally not large. Although Jiuhuashan is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, the mountains are high and the ridges are steep, making travel inconvenient; coupled with financial constraints, it was difficult to transport large building materials, especially the large-diameter and extra-long pillar and beam materials used in wooden structures, which were even harder to transport up the mountain. Overall, although the scale is not large, they are all exquisite and elegant, possessing the characteristics of southern garden architecture, emphasizing the word "ingenious".

3. From the perspective of architectural structure and techniques, ancient wooden temple buildings mostly adopt techniques different from those of residential buildings.

 Influenced by traditional Chinese architectural techniques and the functions of temple buildings, ancient temples in Jiuhuashan are mostly wooden structures; parts such as beams, column bases, and door skirts all feature very exquisite carvings, and the handling of internal space is slightly different from Huizhou-style architecture. Because Buddhist morning and evening classes and Buddhist activities require a larger space, the dimensions of columns and beams are increased to add load-bearing capacity and expand the space to meet these needs. There are also temples with very unique structural forms, such as the Flesh Palace, where the outer hall is a palace-style building with double eaves, flying eaves, and carved beams and painted pillars, while a seven-story wooden pagoda is built inside the hall with an exquisite structure; this architectural form of having a hall outside the pagoda and a pagoda inside the hall is absolutely unique in China.

4. From the perspective of religious concepts running through the architecture, spiritual appeal is prominently displayed.

Religious architecture has a soul, and its sublimity and perfection often amaze people who step into it, and they are even conquered by a powerful religious appeal. Spiritual appeal is caused by the soul of the religious space; throughout the ages, whether in the classical architectural period or the modern new architectural period, the theme of spiritual appeal in religious architecture has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Large Buddhist temples in Jiuhuashan, such as Zhiyuan Temple and Flesh Palace, all imitate the palace-style architecture of the Song Dynasty. The Mahavira Hall is majestic and spectacular, with double flying eaves and wind chimes hanging under the eaves; whenever a gentle breeze blows, crisp, sweet, and beautiful sounds can be heard from far away. The main hall is tall, spacious, and resplendent, fully displaying the solemnity of the place for carrying forward Buddhism.

III. The Value Contained in the Buddhist Architectural Heritage of Jiuhuashan

Exploring the historical and cultural values contained in religious architecture has become a frequently considered aspect of local cultural industry construction and tourism economic development; in the booming tourism industry, religious architecture occupies an important position and has become an indispensable scenic spot for people to understand a nation's cultural traditions and local customs.

As a sacred Buddhist site, Jiuhuashan, one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, holds an extremely important position in the history of Han Buddhism; judging from the existing Buddhist architecture, it mainly has the following values.

1. Historical value contained in Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture

As a special cultural relic resource, ancient religious architecture is non-renewable and irreplaceable. After hundreds of years of inheritance, Buddhism in Jiuhuashan has gradually formed its own unique style in temple architecture; through the architecture, one can understand the spiritual practices, life attitudes, and life views and values of the Buddhist monks. As a carrier of history and culture, it is a rare physical witness in the process of human civilization development and has important historical evidence value. In addition, the temple buildings of Jiuhuashan and local residential buildings are scattered and intertwined. With the continuation of hundreds of years of history, whether in the past era of war and turmoil or in today's peaceful times, monks and residents have lived in harmony and respected each other; this unique cultural phenomenon is absolutely unique in the whole country, possessing rich cultural heritage, humanistic spirit, and Buddhist cultural characteristics. Therefore, studying ancient temple architecture plays an important role in understanding the Buddhist culture of Jiuhuashan and even traditional Chinese culture.

2. Artistic value contained in Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture

Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture has typical regional cultural features and characteristics, integrating the achievements of wood carving, brick carving, and stone carving arts. From different aspects, it artistically expresses the style of "harmony between man and nature" and the architectural concept of harmony with nature, reflecting the politics, economy, science and technology, culture and art, religious beliefs, and customs of the time, and has high artistic value.

3. Aesthetic value contained in Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture

Buddhist culture and philosophical thoughts are broad and profound; the long-standing Buddhist culture makes full use of artistic expressions such as architecture, carving, clay sculpture, and music to vividly express Buddhist culture and religious philosophical thoughts. In architecture, ancient temple buildings pay great attention to religious aesthetics; they strive to integrate religious philosophy into architecture and express Buddhist thoughts through architectural forms. Therefore, ancient temple architecture in Jiuhuashan has a mysterious and majestic side, as well as a quiet and elegant side, showing a life attitude of non-contention with fame, the world, and people, revealing the aesthetic feeling of simplicity and nature.

4. Scientific value contained in Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture

Ancient temple architecture in Jiuhuashan is an indispensable and important material for studying ancient architecture as well as the folk customs, architectural arts, and architectural features of the Jiuhuashan area during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The existing religious architecture is a more intuitive, vivid, and reliable physical witness for studying the history of local architectural development. It can provide relatively detailed physical evidence for studying the dissemination and development of Buddhist thoughts, Buddhist schools and branches, and the layout and architectural features of Buddhist temples, and has equally important scientific value for studying the history of Buddhist development.

IV. Buddhist Architecture Investigation Route

According to the chronological order of the construction of Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture, gradually investigate the changes in Jiuhuashan Buddhist architecture. Investigation route: Huacheng Temple —— Flesh Palace —— Tiantai Temple —— Baisui Palace —— Zhiyuan Temple —— Shangchan Hall —— Ganlu Temple —— Zhantan Forest Temple —— Huiju Temple.

Eastern Jin Dynasty Temple Architecture

1. Huacheng Temple

Huacheng Temple is located in Jiuhua Street, being the founding temple of Jiuhuashan with the longest history, and is also the bodhimanda of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, serving as the "general monastery" of the temples in Jiuhuashan. In the fifth year of Long'an in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the monk Beidu once built a room as a nunnery here. It was rebuilt during the Zhide period of the Tang Dynasty (756-758 AD) and named Huacheng Temple.

Huacheng Temple is a typical residential combination-style temple, being a four-courtyard residential building. Its four halls are deployed on three platforms, rising layer by layer with an orderly layout. The first courtyard, Lingguan Hall, has a depth of 16.5 meters and a width of 5 bays, with two small patios and wing rooms on both sides. Its platform is 3.7 meters higher than the ground level. The second courtyard is the Heavenly King Hall, 20 meters wide and 20.5 meters deep, being an open hall with a four-sloped patio and half-corridors on the east and west sides. The platform is 1.5 meters higher than the first courtyard. The third courtyard is the Main Hall, 20.5 meters deep. Inside are 3 caissons, with the middle one being a relief of "Nine Dragons Playing with a Pearl". The last courtyard is a 3-story Sutra Library, 20 meters high and 14 meters deep, with its platform 2.7 meters higher than the Main Hall. Between the third and fourth courtyards is a rectangular courtyard planted with flowers and trees such as peonies and osmanthus, and the courtyard wall is embedded with eight stone from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The whole temple is symmetrical and strict. It features a gable roof, horse-head walls, and a brick-wood structure. The temple leans against the tiger-shaped mountain in the back, with a release pond and a stone square in the front.

Figure 1 Huacheng Temple and the release pond

Figure 2 Interior of the Mahavira Hall in Huacheng Temple

Tang Dynasty Temple Architecture

2. Flesh Palace

The Flesh Palace is a typical palace-style architecture, located at the head of Shengguang Mountain to the west of Jiuhua Street, surrounded by towering ancient trees that shade the sky. The hall is 15 meters high, the mountain gate faces south, the red walls are strictly guarded, and it is majestic and grand. It has a hip-and-gable roof with double eaves and soaring corners. Covered with iron tiles on top, the upper part of the surrounding corridors features carved beams and painted pillars, with 20 stone pillars erected. The hall is 3 bays wide and 16 meters deep, with the floor paved with white marble. In the center is a 1.8-meter-high white marble pagoda base, upon which stands a seven-story, octagonal wooden pagoda that is 17 meters high. Every side of every floor has a Buddhist niche enshrining a statue of Ksitigarbha. Inside the pagoda is a 3-story stone pagoda where Ksitigarbha's flesh body resides. On the east and west sides of the wooden pagoda are statues of the Ten Kings of Hell standing and paying respects to Ksitigarbha, which are resplendent and magnificent. The base of the hall and the Buddhist platforms on both sides have 38 exquisite white marble reliefs with patterns of pure bottles, swords, judge's pens, lotuses, peonies, orchids, pomegranates, etc. Behind the hall is a half-moon-shaped worship platform with an iron tripod where incense smoke curls up. To the west is a flower garden. In front of the hall hang steep 81-step stairs, crossed by a stone bridge. The construction of having a pagoda inside the Flesh Palace is rarely seen.

Figure 3 Flesh Palace

Song Dynasty Temple Architecture

3. Tiantai Temple

Tiantai Temple is a residential combination-style temple located at the top of Tiantai Peak at an altitude of 1,306 meters, facing south with its back to the north, featuring a block stone and wood structure and a gable roof. The whole temple consists of 3 groups of residential-style halls. The temple lies horizontally in the ridge depression, with the peak ridge (Qinglong Bei) as a barrier to the east, Yuping Platform as the wall body to the south, and protruding giant rocks as connection points to the west and north; an 8-meter-high stone platform base is built in the depression to form a flat surface. The bottom of the hall is elevated, and a water storage well is placed below. The entire building relies on the towering cliffs for concealment, which is both windproof and very sturdy. Its mountain gate is to the south of the gable wall of the main hall and is a roll-arch stone cave with a diameter of 3.4 meters and a depth of 4.2 meters; confronting cliffs are on its east and north sides, allowing direct access to the 2nd floor of the main hall; turning east and going up the steps on the rock, then turning north, one enters the 3rd floor of the main hall; one can also turn south and walk along the passage outside the wall to the "Pengri Pavilion" or "Qinglong Bei". The main hall (also known as Wanfo Tower) is 10 meters wide and 13 meters deep. Behind the hall, a side door leads to the Guanyin Hall, guest rooms, and Yunshui Hall.

Figure 4 Exterior view of Tiantai Temple

Figure 5 Stairs leading to Tiantai Temple

Ming Dynasty Temple Architecture

4. Baisui Palace

Baisui Palace was originally named Zhaixing Nunnery, and this temple was built on Motian Ridge. It is a typical southern Anhui residential-style temple; the main hall, Flesh Palace, storehouse courtyard, dining hall, monks' dormitories, guest rooms, and eastern latrine (toilet) are integrated as a whole without single building configurations; viewed from afar, it looks like an ancient castle reaching the sky, with a tortuous, deep, and majestic layout. This form is extremely rare among the existing temple buildings in China. The layout of the Baisui Palace makes full use of the slope dropping from south to north; the floors climb from low to high, rising layer by layer, forming a maze that is tortuous, deep, magnificent, and variable. Looking at the main hall from the front of the main gate, it is only a one-story building, while the wing room on the east side of the main hall is a two-story building with a total height of only 10 meters. But looking from its back door, the east wall is up to 55 meters high, being a five-story building. The roof is merely a complete southern Anhui residential-style four-sloped roof with a patio.

The main hall is 19 meters wide and 14 meters deep, with a "Nine Dragons Playing with a Pearl" caisson in the middle; the Buddhist niche is built on a rock 4.5 meters long and 2 meters high according to the terrain; from the side door of the main hall, one can enter the Flesh Palace on the same floor. In front of the hall is a patio, with a water reservoir built below for fetching water and fighting fires; behind the Flesh Palace are the Buddhist hall and monks' dormitories. Inside its 4 floors, there are giant rocks lying across and boulders inlaid; it is called Dragon Head Stone and was originally the highest point of this mountain peak. When people built the Baisui Palace back then, they ingeniously utilized it as the foundation beam of the main hall. The organic combination of rocks and architecture, and architecture and mountain peaks, is a masterpiece of nature that makes people gasp in admiration.

Figure 6 Baisui Palace built along the mountain slope

Figure 7 Cleverly using rocks as the foundation beam of the main hall

5. Zhiyuan Temple

Zhiyuan Temple is the largest existing temple in the Jiuhuashan scenic area, one of the four major monasteries in Jiuhuashan, and a typical palace-style architecture. The architectural techniques of Zhiyuan Temple are tortuous and variable.

Firstly, its mountain gate and Heavenly King Hall deviate from the central axis of the main hall, twisting and turning according to the terrain, and rising gradually; secondly, the auxiliary halls discard regularity and are scattered, adopting residential architecture with bold and innovative design and obvious effects. In front of the temple, a path paved with hundreds of stone slabs carved with coin and lotus patterns serves as a guide, extending to the mountain gate with a gable roof, horse-head walls, and three-story eaves, entering the "Zhiyuan Realm". The dharma protector "Lingguan" is enshrined right inside the door, with the two generals "Heng and Ha" sculpted on both sides; the atmosphere inside the hall is eerie, giving a sharp warning.

Passing through a small courtyard with towering high walls from the mountain gate is a pavilion-style square double-eave Heavenly King Hall with a hip-and-gable roof. In the center is the big-bellied Maitreya Buddha, foiled by the "ferocious" Four Heavenly Kings on both sides, making the atmosphere even more solemn. The Heavenly King Hall and the mountain gate are built on a platform base on the same horizontal line, but the base of the former is artificially raised by 0.5 meters, and the foundation of the "Entering the Solemn Realm" courtyard wall behind the hall naturally rises by 1 meter; only by turning from here can one enter from the side into the main hall which rises by another 2 meters.

This staggered height and curved advance complete the transition from the foreground, mountain gate, and Heavenly King Hall to the worship center, namely the Mahavira Hall. The main hall is 35 meters high, covered with glazed tiles, has a hip-and-gable roof, is 25 meters wide, and 19 meters deep. Directly in the center of the hall are three giant statues of Buddha about 12 meters high, behind which is a group of statues 30 meters high and 7 meters wide, sculpting undulating mountains and surging seas called "Island", on which there are various lifelike statues of people and animals. The Buddhist niches on its back wall and south wall are both built on rocks, serving as another masterpiece of adapting to local conditions. The front of the main hall faces the two-story guest hall, and the north faces the retreat dormitory. Downstairs is an open hall with a patio. To the northwest of the retreat dormitory are the guest reception hall, dining hall, and kitchen, in a 2-story building with an underground corridor leading to the storehouse courtyard and the abbot's room. On the southeast slope of the main hall is the Guangming Lecture Hall, an open-hall 2-story building.

The whole architecture leans on the mountain, arranged in close order with a compact layout and distinct layers. The temple also uses pine forests and streams to arrange a naturally beautiful environment that is fascinating.

Figure 8 Zhiyuan Temple

6. Shangchan Hall

Shangchan Hall, located halfway up Shengguang Mountain, is a residential-style temple. Cloud trees cast shadows, and spring water lingers around. It faces south with its back to the north, but its mountain gate opens on the east gable wall, which is unique. There is a screen wall in front, isolating it from the marketplace like a terrace courtyard. A lean-to is connected to the mountain gate, which is the Maitreya Hall. The main hall is connected by two halls, with a four-sloped roof and a patio. It is 10 meters high and 14 meters wide, with an increased depth of 28.5 meters. The south of the main hall faces the Weituo Hall, behind which are 3-story guest rooms. Although they are the same building, they seem to be arranged on 3 steps; the first step, the Mahavira Hall, is 0.7 meters higher than the Weituo Hall, and the second step, the Weituo Hall, is 5.5 meters higher than the guest rooms. The guest rooms and the Weituo Hall are on the same horizontal line as one floor, and the two floors above them are 10 meters high. The crossbeams, architraves, and capitals of the main hall are exquisitely carved with figures of the Eight Immortals and patterns of birds and beasts.

Figure 9 Shangchan Hall

Qing Dynasty Temple Architecture

7. Ganlu Temple

Ganlu Temple is located halfway up Huacheng Peak, facing north with its back to the south. Shielded by dense forests and tall bamboos, it is embraced by a winding highway. The entire temple is a combination of 3 groups of residential buildings and the palace-style Mahavira Hall, with a construction area of 3,500 square meters.

This temple has an irregular layout; the Weituo Hall and the guest reception hall on the north side are arranged on a 2.5-meter-high platform base as 3-story buildings, among which 4 layers of windows are opened on the wall of the guest reception hall, but there are actually only 3 floors; opening top-floor windows increases the sense of layering. The Weituo Hall faces south toward the 15-meter-high Mahavira Hall, which has half-corridors and internal drainage patios in front; the hall body is built on a 6.8-meter-high platform base, 17 meters wide and 15.5 meters deep. To the east of the main hall is a two-story continuous building with an internal patio, a depth of 22 meters, and a width of 15 meters; the upper and lower floors are the Patriarch Hall, Abbot's Room, Zen Hall, and guest rooms respectively. After a pedestrian enters the main gate, going out from the side door of the mountain gate, turning upward for dozens of steps, and then entering the main hall from the side gives a clear sense of spatial hierarchy and the effect of light and dark changes. The temple has 3 patios and hundreds of exterior windows; the roof is a gable double-sloped or four-sloped roof, while the main hall has a hip-and-gable roof.

Figure 10 Ganlu Temple viewed from a distance

8. Zhantan Forest Temple

Zhantan Forest Temple is located in the southwest of Jiuhua Street. It is a brick and wood structure. It consists of a combination of 4 hall-style residential houses and a palace-style Mahavira Hall. To the east are the monks' quarters and dining hall, which are open halls, 3-story buildings with small internal drainage patios. To the west is the Yunshui Hall, an open hall with 4 bays, a 2-story building, and a small patio. Between the monks' quarters and the Yunshui Hall is the front hall, internally partitioned by wooden boards into the Maitreya Hall and the Weituo Hall, with a depth of 20.5 meters; on both sides of the hall are two-story buildings. In front of the hall is a narrow enclosed courtyard paved with slate, followed by a four-sloped patio. Its due south faces the Mahavira Hall, which is 18 meters high, 11.5 meters wide, and 15.5 meters deep, featuring a hip-and-gable roof and flying eaves. On the west side of the main hall is the flower hall, a two-story building with a flower courtyard named "Heaven in the Mountain". The beams, pillars, doors, windows, and Buddhist niches inside the temple are exquisitely carved.

Figure 11 Zhantan Forest Temple

9. Huiju Temple

Huiju Temple is backed by high mountains and faces the bamboo sea, with a very beautiful environment. The halls are majestic and spectacular, resplendent and magnificent. The main hall has high triangular doors for entry and exit; adjacent are the monks' quarters where the "deacon" monks dedicated to hall management reside. Enshrined centrally in the main hall are three tall statues of the "Buddhas of the Three Times" (Sakyamuni, Bhaisajyaguru, and Amitabha) and statues of Manjusri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, flanked by seated statues of the Eighteen Arhats. The Buddhist statues filling the hall are all made of dry lacquer over a linen core, beautifully shaped with unique expressions, and remarkably lifelike. Bells, drums, and other dharma instruments are fully displayed and extremely exquisite.

Figure 12 Huiju Temple