Faxing Temple

　　Faxing Temple was first built in the first year of the Shending era (401 AD) during the Later Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms period. In the fourth year of the Xianheng era (673 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Huaiwang, the thirteenth son of Emperor Gaozu, donated three thousand volumes of Buddhist scriptures and commissioned the construction of a stone stupa for sarira. In the first year of the Shangyuan era (674 AD) of Emperor Gaozong, the temple was renamed “Guangde Temple.” In the eighth year of the Dali era (773 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, a stone lamp tower was also built. In the fourth year of the Yuanyou era (1081 AD) of the Song Dynasty, the Hall of the Twelve Yuanjue Bodhisattvas was reconstructed and the temple was renamed “Faxing Temple.” It underwent multiple renovations during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The temple faces south and is not very large in scale. Its main structures are distributed along a central axis, including the stupa, the lamp tower, the Hall of the Yuanjue Bodhisattvas, and the rear hall.

　　The Stupa, also known as the “Stone Hall,” is entirely constructed from sandstone slabs. The base of the stupa is square, forming a perfect square layout with each side measuring 8.8 meters. It features an arched stone door and is a double-eaved pavilion-style structure. The stupa’s eaves extend out in three tiers, and its interior forms a square caisson ceiling. The four sloping roofs are fitted with rafters and brackets. The upper part is sharply angled, while the lower part houses a recessed corridor. The interior space is square-shaped, with Buddhist niches on all sides, inside which are various Buddha statues. The architectural form of the building is unique in China’s surviving ancient pagodas, representing a rare gem of ancient Chinese architecture.

　　The Lamp Tower stands 2.26 meters tall and has an octagonal floor plan. It features two-tiered foundations: the lower foundation is of the corbelled waist-type, with carved running beasts around the base plate, and the niches inside the “kettle doors” depict eight celestial musicians. Inscriptions on the divider columns read: “In the eighth year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty, devout layman Dong Xirui… respectfully erected this eternal lamp stand at this temple.” The base is carved with circular upturned and downturned lotus petals, above which rises a hollow octagonal lamp pavilion with four openings. The body of the tower is hollow, and each doorway is flanked by a bundled lotus column, topped with a dougong bracket. Between the columns, there is an architrave carved with square doors and lattice windows. At night, light would shine through the four doorways, illuminating the surroundings of the temple. The overall design of the tower is exquisitely graceful, with intricate carvings, making it one of the finest surviving stone lamp towers in China.

　　The Hall of the Yuanjue Bodhisattvas features a six-rafter suspended gable roof, with five ridges and six mythical beast ornaments. It has a stone door frame and wooden panel doors. The small octagonal green stone pillars are engraved with intertwined floral patterns, and the animal and lotus designs on the front eaves stone walls are finely and vividly carved. The upper lintel of the hall door is inscribed with dedicatory texts. The Buddha pedestal inside the hall is very spacious, with a concave rectangular layout. Atop the pedestal sits Sakyamuni in the lotus position, flanked by two disciples bowing in reverence, while Manjushri and Samantabhadra are mounted on a lion and an elephant respectively, positioned on both sides. Two Vajra guardians stand at the front corners of the platform. On the two side bays of the hall are six Yuanjue Bodhisattva statues each. These figures have plump faces, well-defined muscles, tall hair buns, delicate eyebrows, solemn yet graceful expressions, and elegant postures. Their garments feature soft colors and flowing, rhythmic folds, giving them a natural and lifelike presence. The necklaces are simply designed. Particularly noteworthy is the Yuanjue statue created in the first year of the Zhenghe era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1111 AD), which depicts the figure resting one hand on its cheek in a thoughtful pose. Its expression is vividly conveyed through its brows and lips, giving off a warm and approachable aura. The polychrome sculptures in this hall are exquisitely crafted, representing the finest examples of Song Dynasty sculpture. Along with the Liao Dynasty sculptures at Huayan Temple in Datong and the Song Dynasty sculptures at Jinci Temple in Taiyuan, they stand as masterpieces of polychrome sculpture art from the same period. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)