Introduction to the Tianguan Bodhisattva statue: The Tianguan Bodhisattva statue was given by the imperial court during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. There were originally a thousand iron statues in Zhiti, which were given by Qian Chu, King of Wuyue. According to the Huayan Sutra, King Qian Chu of Wu and Yue made thousands of iron celestial crown statues, each about a foot tall, and sent envoys across the sea to worship them in Zhiti Temple. After the Huanghua Uprising, these iron-cast heavenly crown statues were destroyed in the war and disappeared. The 1,000 existing statues were given by Empress Renxiao, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. They are made of iron, are about a foot tall, and weigh 20 kilograms. They are in the shape of folding the palms, forming the Samadhi seal, or sitting in the lotus position. It was originally dedicated to the Tianguan Pavilion in the west of the hall. The pavilion was destroyed and moved to the main hall. There are nine caissons around it, with carved railings on the outside and two floors. After the Dharma Hall was completed, it was moved to the Huabao Hall. Due to the age and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, there are only 947 statues in existence, and most of them need to be renovated.

Leave a Reply