The Zhangbafa Stone Statue in Boxing

The Zhangbafa Stone Statue in Boxing

The Zhangbafa Stone Statue in Boxing is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Zhangbafa Buddha is a round monolithic stone statue carved from bluestone, located in Zhangbafa Village, Hubin Town, Boxing County. This statue was created in the first year of the Tianping era during the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534 AD). The sculpture consists of a standing Buddha and its base, with a total height of 7.1 meters and the figure itself measuring 5.6 meters. The Buddha features an ushnisha, an oval-shaped face, and wears a kasaya in the "praised clothing and wide sash" style, with an inner sanghati, and a belt tied across the chest. Both hands are in the abhaya mudra (fearlessness gesture) and varada mudra (wish-granting gesture), and the bare feet stand on a double-lotus pedestal. The lotus base is carved with images of strength figures, incense burners, kalavinkas (mythical birds), worshippers, and also inscriptions, though these have become blurred over time. There are three extant stone steles as associated relics: the “Reconstruction Stele of Xingguo Temple, First Year of the Chenghua Era of the Ming Dynasty,” the “Reconstruction Stele of Xingguo Temple, Twelfth Year of the Wanli Era of the Ming Dynasty,” and the “Reconstruction Stele of Xingguo Temple, Sixth Year of the Daoguang Era of the Qing Dynasty.”

During the first year of the Tianping era of the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534 AD), there was a temple at this site called “Xingguo Temple.” During the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–559 AD), the Zhangbafa Buddha Hall was built. The temple underwent renovations during the Sui, Tang, Jin (Tianjuan and Huangtong eras), Yuan (Yuanshen era), Ming (Jingtai, Chenghua, and Wanli eras). During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, the temple complex included a main hall, a Three Buddhas Hall, and a Guan Yu Hall, arranged in a fan shape. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the temple had fallen into disuse, leaving only the main hall. In the early years of the Republic of China, the main hall collapsed, leaving the statue exposed to the elements. During the Cultural Revolution, the head of the statue was removed, but villagers reattached it in 1979. Between 1998 and 2001, with the help and guidance of officials from the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, the Boxing County People's Government, with an investment of over 4 million yuan from Shenzhen lay Buddhist Outongguo, constructed the Xingguo Temple Protection Courtyard covering an area of 9,450 square meters. It includes a mountain gate, the Zhangbafa Buddha Hall, a rear hall, and side chambers. In 2006, the county’s cultural relics department invited experts from the provincial museum to carry out a restoration and preservation project for the Buddha statue.

The Zhangbafa Buddha is one of the larger and better-preserved single monolithic stone statues from the Northern Dynasties period discovered in China’s plains region. The sculpture is exquisitely carved with smooth lines, making it a rare treasure of Buddhist art with significant historical, artistic, and scientific value. In 1992, it was designated as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Shandong Provincial People's Government. Additionally, there are many beautiful legends about the Zhangbafa Buddha circulating among the people. In 2008, the Binzhou Municipal People's Government included the legends of the Zhangbafa Buddha in the “Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List.”

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units