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 The Qiongzhu Temple is situated on the Yu'an
Mountain to the northwest of Kunming amid wooded peaks, clouds and
mist, and flowing streams. It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty.
During its history, spanning nearly 1,000
years, the Qiongzhu Temple has been burnt to
ashes several times and then reconstructed. The
present structure mostly dates from the late Qing
Dynasty. Many antiques are on display in the
temple. From the famous poet monk, Dandang of the late Ming
Dynasty, to
the patriot general, Li Genyuan of this century, numerous people
have left
their antithetical couplets here. But what makes this temple famous
is the
colorful clay sculptures of the 500 Buddhist arhats. They were
created in
the Qing Dynasty, during Emperor Guangxu's time(1875-1909),when the
temple
was undergoing major repairs. Li Guangxiu, a famous folk clay
artist from
Sichuan Province, took his students to Kunming where they spent
seven year
(1883-1890) preparing the sculptures. The arhats stand beside the
central
Buddha in six rows, with three levels in each row. Each arhat is
about one
meter tall. Each of the 500 arhats has a different expression and
gesture.
This is in complete contrast to the usual fixed style of Buddhist
sculptures. With the religious subjects and use of exaggeration,
the
ancient artists created lively images. Some of them are reaching
for the
moon with extremely long arms, some are crossing the o cean on
extra long
legs. There are bare-footed monks and naked-bellied Buddhas. Some
are lost
in deep thought, some are telling each other good news. Some are
tranquil,
some angry, some surprised, some curious. One is scratching his
back, another
is poking his ear. Here are most of the expressions of man in this
world-
a representation of life as it really is. Hence, the 500 arhats of
the
Qiongzhu Temple are known as the "Sculptured pearls in the
oriental
treasure-house." The temple is renowned throughout the world for
these
sculptures.
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