Tianlong Temple Statues

Tianlong Temple Statues

The Tianlong Temple statues are a Hangzhou Municipal-level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tianlong Temple, located at the southern foot of Yuhuang Mountain and above Bagua Fields, houses some of the finest Buddhist statues from the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period. In 2006, they were included in the sixth group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites by the State Council.

Tianlong Temple was originally constructed in the third year of the Qiande era (965) during the Northern Song Dynasty but was burned down in the third year of the Jianyan era (1129) during the Southern Song Dynasty. It was later rebuilt and served as temporary lodging for officials attending suburban rites when the Southern Song Dynasty first established its suburban altar. Over the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, but the original 11 statues in the eastern, central, and western niches have remained relatively well-preserved. Local worshippers still frequently visit to burn incense and pray, and have even taken the initiative to repaint the statues.

The eastern, central, and western niche statues inside Tianlong Temple—namely the Water-Moon Guanyin, Maitreya Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha—are among the finest examples of Buddhist statuary from the Wuyue Kingdom period and hold a unique position in the history of Chinese grotto art. The Tianlong Temple statues, along with those at Ciyunling, Tianzhu Cave, and Yanxia Cave, are collectively known as the West Lake Southern Mountain Statues, protected as national heritage sites.

During the Five Dynasties period, continuous warfare and social unrest in the Central Plains led to the decline of grotto art in northern China. In contrast, the Wuyue Kingdom in the south enjoyed stability and prosperity under its “protect the realm and keep the people safe” policy, fostering significant cultural and artistic development. With rulers of the Wuyue Kingdom respecting both Buddhism and Taoism, temple construction and stone carving flourished, giving rise to the West Lake Southern Mountain statues.

Most of the stone carvings on West Lake’s southern mountains were created using round carving techniques, showcasing mature, vigorous, bold, and richly detailed styles with distinct Jiangnan characteristics. They represent the pinnacle of Five Dynasties Wuyue grotto art and laid the foundation for the artistic flourishing of the Song Dynasty.