The Qian'anzhuang Dhāraṇī Pillar

The Qian'anzhuang Dhāraṇī Pillar

The Qian'anzhuang Dhāraṇī Pillar is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The Qian'anzhuang Dhāraṇī Pillar is located in Qian'anzhuang Village, Yangshuiwu Township, Anci District, Langfang City, Hebei Province. It has been relocated to the Stele Garden of the Langfang Museum for preservation. It is a key cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The pillar was discovered in May 1990, missing its finial. Beneath the base are two square platforms paved with blue bricks. The lower part of the pillar base is an octagonal disc-shaped stone carving, with bas-reliefs of galloping mythical beasts on four sides and floral patterns on the other four, arranged alternately. The top surface features auspicious cloud designs. The upper part of the base is a circular disc-shaped inverted lotus stone carving, with overlapping petals blooming upwards. The main body of the pillar consists of a large octagonal column, an octagonal tray, and a small octagonal column. The large octagonal column is inscribed with the "Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra" in regular script, along with information about the family that erected the pillar, the process of its establishment, and the date. The octagonal tray is adorned with patterns such as beast masks holding rings and drapery. The small octagonal column has four wider sides carved with Buddha niches, each housing a statue of a Buddha, and four narrower sides inscribed with Buddha names and mantras. The top of the pillar features an octagonal pyramidal roof, with tile ridges and bracket sets (dougong) carved beneath the eaves. The pillar stands 1.4 meters tall.

This pillar was erected in October of the seventh year of the Dà Kāng era (1081) of the Liao Dynasty (the surname of the person is unknown) in the family cemetery for the deceased father. There is also an inscription on the pillar reading “Reconstructed in the second year of the Huáng Tǒng era (1149),” written in poor calligraphy. The carvings are relatively rough, indicating they were recarved by the family descendants during the Jin Dynasty.

After the mid-Tang Dynasty, the influence of Esoteric Buddhism gradually expanded in the region. The construction of dhāraṇī pillars became popular in both temples and among the public, with various types, forms, and materials, among which stone pillars were the most common. These pillars often feature the "Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra." By the Song and Jin periods, the trend of building dhāraṇī pillars was widespread. Dhāraṇī pillars created by Buddhist devotees in cemeteries are referred to as mantra pillars or tomb inscribed pillars. This pillar belongs to this category and is currently the only known tomb pillar discovered in Hebei Province.

To better protect the cultural relic, the pillar has now been moved to the Stele Garden of the Langfang Museum and erected in the courtyard. Unfortunately, the small octagonal column carving has gone missing and has been replaced by a smooth octagonal column, as the original component was stolen.

On July 15, 1993, it was announced as part of the third batch of cultural relic protection units of Hebei Province.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province