Fengxiansi Cave

Fengxiansi Cave (completed in 675 A.D.) is the largest open-air niche among all the caves in China, cut on cliffs, 34 meters wide and 38 meters deep. A total of nine giant statues stand in the cave, including one Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, and two warriors, on the north, west and south walls. In the middle of the back wall sits Grand Losana, cross-legged, on an octagon lotus seat, 17.14 meters in height, his ears 1.9 meters high and his head 4 meters high. The disciples are 10.65 meters high, the bodhisattvas 13.25 meters, the heavenly kings 10.5 meters, and the warriors 9.75 meters. Losana, which means “purity, fullness, bright shining across the land”, ranks the highest among the Buddhas in the Kegon School. The grand Buddha has a plump face, thick eyebrow, down-looking eyes, looking dignified, kind reserved, and wise. According to the stele under the seat of grand Losana, the cave was cut by Emperor Li Zhi of the Tang Dynasty, and Empress Wu Zetian donated 20,000 strings of cash to the decoration of statues in this cave. So Fengxina Temple was initiated by the emperor himself, designed by prestigious monks and supervised by high-rank officials in the court. This group of statues embodied the great material and spiritual strength of the Tang Dynasty, demonstrated the supreme level attained in the art of stone carving in the Tang Dynasty, and is a symbol of the Tang Dynasty as a great era and an vivid example of the oriental Buddhist art.

Publishes at : 07-09-22 00:05

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