Sino-Tibetan cultural exchanges have a long history. Because of its architectural structure and exquisite murals, The Shalu Monastery in Tibet has become a model of the integration of Sino-Tibetan culture.
Located in The Samdruptsy District of Shigatse City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Shalu Monastery was founded in 1087 AD. In the middle of the 13th century, the central government of the Yuan Dynasty comprehensively administered in Tibet, inventorying households, establishing 130,000 households, setting up post stations, stationing troops, conscripting and collecting taxes, appointing officials, and taking a series of measures to strengthen the governance of Tibet. Among them, the Xialu Wanhu Mansion is located in the Shalu Temple. The establishment of the shalu monastery's connection with the interior was even earlier than this.
Around 1329 AD, the temple was severely damaged by a natural disaster (some say flash floods, some say strong earthquakes). At this time, the head of the Xialu Wanhu Household, Ji Zhao, was in the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, and the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty immediately gave a large amount of money and goods to reorganize the Xialu Temple. In 1333, Yoshiya invited many craftsmen from the interior and worked with local craftsmen to rebuild the Temple of Sharu, which was based on the current shape and scale. From the exterior to the interior, the Shalu Monastery we see is both the artistic crystallization of the cooperation between Tibetan and inland craftsmen, as well as the embodiment of national unity.
The "Han-Tibetan Art Exhibition of Xialu Monastery in the Yuan Dynasty" is the key exhibition launched by the Museum of Tibetan Culture in 2020. A total of 33 cultural relics (sets) of The Temple of Shalu are exhibited in the exhibition. Among them, the red satin embroidered eight immortals columnar banner set in the second unit "Sino-Tibetan Fusion, Fusion Model" is particularly eye-catching with bright colors and fine embroidery.
Qing Dynasty red satin embroidered eight immortals pattern columnar banner for the Hanzang Art Exhibition of Xialu Temple in the Yuan Dynasty (imposition photo)
Flag is the meaning of flag in China's ancient native culture, and later after Buddhism was introduced to China, foreign cultures and local cultures were combined to form different meanings. According to the requirements of the place of use, the size of the Tibetan column banner is different, some are wide and long, some are narrow and short; the color pattern of the banner surface also has different variations, but it is a kind of banner.
This set of pillar banners of Xialu Temple, made in the 19th century and the Qing Dynasty, consists of three parts, including the head of the hat, the body of the hat and the hand placed on the left and right of the hagi. The dimensions are larger, with two paintings on the left and right, both of which are 375 cm long and 80 cm wide.
The head of the columnar banner is in the shape of a ruyi-shaped beast with a central embroidered nose beast (Tibetan ཙི་པ་ཊ།). Ruyi pattern is a traditional pattern of Chinese auspiciousness, taken from the traditional auspicious artifact "Ruyi", because it is given a beautiful meaning and wish by people, the shape gradually evolved from the ganoderma lucidum shape, cloud shape, heart shape, as an auxiliary ornament, often used in architecture, utensils, clothing, etc.
The Collapsed Nose Beast, the Great Dictionary of Tibetan and Han Chinese, explains: "A fictional beast with a head like a tanuki cat and a flat nose, slightly resembling the monster carved on the old Han custom of 'Shi Dare Dang'." This is often used in Tibetan architecture as a column head decoration, and it is also used at the upper end of the column. "The collapsed-nosed beast in the veil has a fierce face, its eyes are round and wide-eyed, its ears are long horns, it has dragon-like tendrils, and its humanoid hands are playing with its beard and spitting out treasures. Some scholars also call it based on the decoration of the "lion face" (also known as the "face of glory", Kirttimukha), which is common in Indian temple architecture, and after it was introduced to Tibet, it integrated the characteristics of the dragon in Han mythology and became an artistic embodiment of Tibetan-Chinese cultural exchange. As a symbol of warding off evil spirits, heroism and wishes, the collapsed nose beast is a more common ornament in the traditional Tibetan decorative arts. In the architecture of Shalu Temple, the collapsed nose beast appears many times on components such as wadang and dripping water.
The picture shows the tile of the collapsed-nosed beast carved into the eaves of the south eaves of the West Wuliang Palace of Shalu Temple
The picture shows the water droplets of the collapsed-nosed beast carved on the eaves of the south eaves of the West Wuliang Palace of Xialu Temple
The banner of the cylindrical veil is divided into two parts, the upper and lower parts, and is in the shape of a long strip. The upper part is made of red satin, and the middle is made of brown, blue, cyan, pink and green silk threads, and the eight immortals are embroidered with flat needles, plates of gold, and seed beating techniques.
The "Eight Immortals" are the 8 immortals in Chinese Taoist legends, who represent "male, female, old, young, rich, noble, poor, and lowly". Because the eight immortals are a symbol of health and longevity, the Ming and Qing dynasties prevailed in the "eight immortals to wish for life" and "eight immortals across the sea" theme of the pattern is more, from the body of the picture, the theme embroidered with eight immortals, cranes, white monkeys, sacred deer, peach and many other auspicious longevity patterns, depicted should be the eight immortals to Yaochi for the West Queen Mother to celebrate the birthday of the scene.
From top to bottom, the left banner is Zhang Guolao, Lü Dongbin, Lan Caihe, and He Xiangu. On the right are Han Zhongli, Cao Guo's uncle, Han Xiangzi, and Tie Quan Li.
Zhang Guolao, silver-haired and white-bearded, dressed in a robe, holding a fish drum in his hand, riding on a donkey;
Lü Dongbin wore a Taoist robe, carried a sword on his shoulder, and held the dust in his hand, and was led by the willow tree spirit;
Lan Caihe, with a single bun on his head, wearing an orchid robe, holding a flower basket in his left hand and dust in his right hand, accompanied by a sacred deer;
He Xiangu, wearing a pink blouse and holding a lotus flower, looks at each other with a monkey holding a peach;
Han Zhongli, wearing a long coat with wide sleeves, bare chest and abdomen, holding a peach in his left hand, holding a fan in his right hand, riding on a beast;
Uncle Cao Guo, official dressed with a body, wearing an official hat on his head, holding a jade plate, riding a rui beast;
Han Xiangzi, with his head combed in a double bun, wearing a blue robe, pressing the flute hole with his hand, blowing a horizontal flute in his mouth, riding a crane;
Iron crutched plum, wearing a gold hoop on his head, a shape of a ricket, holding a gourd with both hands, and stepping on a crab.
On the whole, the eight immortal figures have clear faces, different postures, holding magic objects, and vivid images. Around the Eight Immortals, there are also embroidered Ruyi Xiangyun and bat patterns, and the bottom is embroidered with seawater cliffs, symbolizing "Ruyi Happiness" and "Fushan Shouhai", making the theme of Zhushou more prominent.
The lower part of the veil is forged in royal blue, using silk threads such as gold, red, pink, silver and cyan, and embroidering two sets of two sets of two dragon play beads with flat needles and pan gold techniques. The two groups of dragons embroidered using the flat gold method have a slender and curved body, showing the beauty of curves; the head is small, the mouth is round, and the teeth are spit out; the dragon's body is accompanied by flame patterns, and the dragon scales are mesh-shaped; the claws are five-toed, with wings under the elbows, and the tail fins are like strips. In terms of shape, two groups of dragons are facing each other, playing with a jewel, which is like a burning fireball, which may represent the ancestors' worship of the sun. Looking at the overall situation, there are also bats, auspicious clouds, butterflies and floral patterns between the dragons, and the patterns are gorgeous and exquisite, but they do not lose their solemnity.
The hatta is a long ribbon fabric that hangs from the left and right of the hat. The hands of this pillar veil are brocade with green dark floral patterns and orange dark flowers, and the ends of the hands are sewn with blue and cyan fringed silk spikes.
This set of columnar banners naturally integrates the eight immortals blessing birthday, erlong play beads, and seawater river cliff decoration themes in the interior with the traditional Tibetan pattern of the collapsed nose beast, complementing each other, and the design is quite careful, providing concrete and vivid examples for future generations to study the exchanges and exchanges of Sino-Tibetan culture. And who designed it and why did you come to Shalu Temple? The story behind it is also worth exploring. (China Tibet Network Text/Zhan Lidan)
bibliography:
[1] Wang Wenjie, "An Image Study of the Banners in the Tang Dynasty Murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang", Silk Road, No. 1, 2020.
[2] A Small Encyclopedia of Buddhism (22), Beijing: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Press, 2003.
[3] Robert Bill, Illustrations of Symbols and Artifacts of Tibetan Buddhism, China Tibetology Publishing House, 2007.