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Temple and pagoda relics bring history to life
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HUNDREDS of antiques from Jingzhi Temple and Jingzhongyuan Pagoda are now on display at Zhejiang Museum’s Wulin Pavilion through January 1 in Hangzhou.
Archeologists excavated an underground palace at both sites in the 1960s and found more than 800 pieces including frescos, silver, copper, glassware, lacquer ware and silks. The exhibit contains 300 of these items.
Jingzhi Temple and Jingzhongyuan Pagoda are in Dingzhou, Henan Province. It was an important city centuries ago as it was in the Central Plains — comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River — and proved a vital link between northern and southern China.
The antiques are highly valued by archeologists as they reflect burial practices and how ancient underground palaces were built. They also showcase the glory days of Dingzhou’s craftsmanship in metal, porcelain and silk.
Among the items on display, the sculpture of Asoka Pagoda is the highlight as it symbolizes the peaceful coexistence between Wuyue Kingdom (present-day Zhejiang, Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai) and the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).
When the Northern Song established its imperial power in northern China, the Wuyue Kingdom was thriving. Usually such powers would lead to war, however, Emperor Qian Chu of Wuyue Kingdom (907-978) peacefully paid allegiance to the Northern Song Dynasty because he didn’t want people to die needlessly. At one high-level meeting, Qian gave the sculpture of Asoka Pagoda, characterized by carved Buddhist patterns and bird-shaped eaves, to his counterpart in the Northern Song. It was later buried under Jingzhi Temple.
The temple was built in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) although it was destroyed and rebuilt several times through the centuries. Shifting political situations made the temple vulnerable as it was a potent symbol of Buddhism.
At one point a large quantity of capital and human resources were devoted to Buddhist places of worship, leading to a heavy tax burden on the public. This eventually caused social and political unrest that turned sovereigns against Buddhism. Thus the rise and fall of Jingzhi Temple epitomized the development of Buddhism in the country.
Buddhism came back in favor in following dynasties as it helped imperial courts govern the country.
The temple also typifies the evolution of sarira, which are crystal or pearl bead-like objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters, which is categorized into three periods.
Early in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534), stone caskets, where the sarira was put, were buried beneath pagodas without an underground palace. By the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618), people began constructing vertical palaces under the foundations and caskets became more diverse as copper and glass were also used. The caskets unearthed from Jingzhi Temple are believed to be the oldest found by archeologists.
Starting in the Tang Dynasty, extensive underground palaces were built under pagodas and temples. Again, more ornate caskets became common including those with gold and silver.
Jingzhi Temple belongs in this category and the antiques unearthed range from the Sui Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty.
Meanwhile, Jingzhongyuan Pagoda was built in the Northern Song Dynasty and has never been destroyed. In 1969, archeologists uncovered its underground palace and excavated 106 antiques.
Date: Through January 1
Venue: Wulin Pavilion, Zhejiang Museum, No. 29, West Lake Culture Square
Admission: Free
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