Gilded Copper Statue of Hanshan

Gilded Copper Statue of Hanshan

The gilded copper statue of Hanshan stands 55 cm tall, 26 cm wide at the front, and 21.5 cm wide at the sides, weighing 16.4 kg. It was unearthed in 1986 on Xinhua Street, Yinchuan, Ningxia, and is now housed in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Museum.

The figure is shown standing on a two-tiered hexagonal Sumeru pedestal. With shoulder-length black hair, thin eyebrows, long eyes, and a smiling face, he wears a tight-sleeved, form-fitting kasaya with a sash, his robes appearing tattered. A bundle of five gourds tied together with rope is slung diagonally over his left shoulder, while a brocade pouch hangs from his right hip. His hands rest at his sides, empty. His expression is humorous and whimsical, his demeanor calm and composed, and the likeness remarkably lifelike.

Hanshan, also known as Hanshanzi, was a poet-monk of the Tang Dynasty. His poetry is simple and natural, profound in Zen meaning, and distinctive in style, with over 300 poems collected in the Complete Tang Poems. According to the Five Lamps Merged at the Source, he was unconventional and carefree in lifestyle, a true recluse in the mold of Vimalakirti, holding a significant place in the history of Buddhist Chan (Zen) and Chinese literature. Hanshan Temple outside Suzhou city is named after this monk who once resided there.

Source: Yinchuan Municipal Government Portal Website

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