Iron-Wire Guanyin Statue Stele

Iron-Wire Guanyin Statue Stele

The Iron-Wire Guanyin Statue Stele is a cultural tourism attraction.

Iron-Wire Guanyin Statue Stele

Inside the mountain gate, a secluded path extends, flanked by slender, gracefully intertwining holly branches. The Iron-Wire Guanyin Statue Stele is situated along this stone path, sheltered under a tiled pavilion. The painting employs the “iron-wire” line technique from traditional Chinese ink painting, hence the name Iron-Wire Guanyin. Legend has it that the upper half of the portrait was painted by Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty. In the second year of the Taiding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1325), painter Jiang Yuejing extended it into a full-body seated figure. The entire image is seamlessly integrated, with almost no visible trace of the continuation. The depicted Guanyin is dignified and graceful, dressed in luxurious attire, with slightly upturned lips. Interestingly, this Guanyin has a third eye between the brows and even a pair of mustaches painted beside the mouth. It is said that during the Tang and Song dynasties, Guanyin was portrayed with a male form. After the Yuan Dynasty, Guanyin gradually evolved into a maternal figure, gaining titles such as Guanyin Niangniang (Lady Guanyin). The painting is finely executed in technique, with smooth lines, balanced density, and bears the distinct style of the Tang Dynasty.

The Guanyin statue stele was carved from the locally produced “Jinxing” stone of Xingzi, using skilled craftsmanship and appropriate depth of carving. It not only reproduces the style of Tang Dynasty painters but also embodies the characteristics of Chinese stone carving art, making it an extremely precious artwork. The original stone-carved statue stele was destroyed in 1966. In 1980, it was recarved based on rubbings of the original, and re-erected on a granite base. In 1984, the statue stele was relocated inside the mountain gate, and a stele pavilion was built. The newly carved Guanyin statue stele stands over ten feet tall, with an inscription behind it titled “Record of the Re-Erection of the Guanyin Statue Stele,” compiled by the Xingzi County Cultural Relics Management Office.