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| the Flying Rainbow Tower |
The Guangsheng Temple was set up in the first year (147) of the Jianhe reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). It was originally named Julushe Temple and got the present name in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The temple was damaged in an earthquake in the 7th year (1303) of the Dade reign of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and was rebuilt in the following years. It experienced several repairs during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), but most buildings kept the architectural style of the Yuan Dynasty. The temple leans against the mountain and faces a river. Old trees shelter it, the Huoquan Spring gushes beneath the rocks at the foot of Huoshan Mountain, and green hills and clear waters compose quiet and beautiful picturesque scenery. The temple is divided into three main parts: the upper temple, the lower temple and the Water God Temple. The upper temple is on the top of Huoshan Mountain, surrounded by green pines and overwhelmed by ancient towers. It has some colored glaze components, making it magnificent and splendid. The lower temple lies at the foot of Huoshan Mountain. It is built to the landform of Huoshan Mountain, so it can be seen here and there with one higher than another, forming an interesting picture. The Water God Temple is next to the lower temple. Their walls are connected with each other. The Statue of Ying, emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is enshrined there and frescoes about Yuan Dramas in the temple are well known at home and abroad.
The upper temple consists of the temple gate, the Flying Rainbow Tower, the Amitabha Hall, the Great Hall, the Vairochana Hall, the Kwan-yin Hall, the Ksitigarbha Hall and wing-rooms, corridors, etc. The Temple Gate is in the front part, with two guardian warriors standing on both sides. Inside the Temple Gate is the huge Flying Rainbow Tower built of colored glaze bricks. It was first built in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) and experienced several repairs later. The existing one was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It has thirteen storeys with a height of 47.31 meters, and its plane is octagonal. The whole tower was decorated with tri-colored glaze of yellow, green and blue, splendid and colorful. Beneath the eaves there are wooden square blocks inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam, as well as pillars and delicate carvings of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, guardian warriors, flowers, birds, animals and other designs. There are corridors around the first storey. The tower has nothing inside but the stairs leading to the tenth floor. The style is marvelous and is a fine work of colored glazed towers in China.
The Amitabha Hall is behind the tower. It is 5-bay wide, 4-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Main statues inside are three dignitaries: Amitabha Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Vajrapani Bodhisattva. These statues are so exquisite that they are the masterpieces of the Ming Dynasty. The wall in the east side and the screen wall are carved with frescoes. 4,000 volumes of the Pingshui version of Tripitaka of the Huangtong reign in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) were treasured up here. They are now preserved in the Beijing Library as rare material information for study on the history of Chinese printing.
The Great Hall is 5-bay wide with single-eaved gable and hip roof. There are three niches inside for wooden statues of Sakyamuni, Manjusri and Samantabhadra. These statues are properly proportioned, plump and perfectly calm. The eighteen iron arhats along two sides and the statues of Kwan-yin and Amitabha Buddha on the back of the niche were all added in the Qing Dynasty.
The Vairochana Hall is 5-bay wide with hip roof. The two gables are supported by big crawling beams. Such special style is the typical architecture of the Yuan Dynasty. There are statues of three Buddha and four Bodhisattvas on the altar in the hall, surrounded by wooden niches with 35 iron statues in them. Frescoes of Sakyamuni and twelve Bodhisattvas of Perfect Enlightenment on the back wall are the best.
The lower temple is made up by the temple gate, front hall, back hall, the buttress hall and other buildings that were all built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple gate is rather high. It is 3-bay wide and 3-bay long with single-eaved gable and hip roof. Canopies added to the front and back eaves make it like a pavilion with double eaves. The front hall is five-bay wide with only two pillars supporting the whole hall. The back hall was built in the second year (1309) of the Zhida reign of the Yuan Dynasty. It is 7-bay wide with 9 purlins, 8 rafters and a single-eaved overhanging gable roof. The main statues in the hall are Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. They were all made in the Yuan Dynasty. Frescoes were once covered on the walls, but they were stolen and smuggled to other countries in 1928. Now they are kept in the Naerson Museum in Texas, US. The fresco on the south wall recorded the performance of Yuan Drama. It is rare reference material for study on Chinese dramas.
The Water God Temple has two yards: the front yard and the back yard, and includes the Temple Gate, the Door of Amenity, the Ming Ying King Hall and wing-rooms of cave dwellings. The Ming Ying King Hall is 5-bay wide and 5-bay long with a cloister around and a double-eaved gable hip roof. Beams inside are of common style. The hall houses statues of Water God Ming Ying King and his eleven attendants. Their facial features, clothes and gestures are all of Yuan style. Frescoes about people praying for the rain and other historical stories covered the walls, occupying an area of 197 square meters. The pictures of dramas at the eastern end of the south wall show a complete set of stage property for the performers: costumes, stage instruments, musical instruments, makeup, curtain, stage, and so on. The drawing was strictly arranged, the color was simple but profound, and dramatis personae were expressive. This fresco reflects the true condition of Yuan Drama in its peak time; it is a rare fine work of Yuan frescoes in China.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
