Bodhisattva Statue of Qingzhou
2 min readBodhisattva Statue of Qingzhou is one of preserved statues of Longxing Temple, Qingzhou, Shandong. As a masterpiece of the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it marks the highest achievement of Buddha statue at that time. The hands and legs of Bodhisattva statue are missing, but the statue is still beautiful. Bodhisattva features clear facial features, slight smile, slender body and elegant posture. She wears a crown with drooping strip. She wears a long skirt and short embroidered cape on shoulder. She is covered by luxurious and refined pendants, with well-proportioned image. With saint, elegant, implicit and ordinary features, the statue is not only resplendent with jewels, but also presents plain and pure temperament.
Preserved Buddha Statues of Longxing Temple, Qingzhou, Shandong
In recent years, in the cellar of Longxing Temple Site in Qingzhou, Shandong, a total of 2,000 preserved Buddha statues and statue steles are found. They boast high artistic level and good preservation conditions. They can date back from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, and most of them are treasures of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Northern Qi Dynasty. They are made of limestone, granite, marble, cast iron, pottery, clay, wood, etc.
Model of Qingzhou
Preserved Buddha statues of Longxing Temple Site in Qingzhou feature smooth surface, few decoration clothes and concise cassock texture, which are only carved with thin edge and smooth lines in order. The figures are calm with kind vision. These features are different from other statues of the Central Plains, which are called as “Model of Qingzhou”.
Spread of Buddhism and rise of Buddhism statues
Buddhism was introduced to china in the Han Dynasty (the 1st century AD) . Before the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties , Buddhism had few influence in the Central Plains. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism began large-scale spread so that Buddhism statues rapidly developed, and emerged as the backbone of ancient Chinese sculptures.
Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva refers to the person who has Enlightnment to some extent and has the lofty status only second to Buddha, such as Avalokitesvara, Mahasthamaprapta, Manjushri, Samantabhadra and so on. Bodhisattva turned out to have man s beard. After Buddhism was introduced to China, Bodhisattva gradually became feminine because they are symbol of goodness.
