Four hundred and eighty temples in the south, how many buildings in the smoke and rain.
What does a Southern Dynasty temple look like? In August 2019, archaeologists from the Nanjing Institute of Archaeology entered Xiying Village outside the Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing to conduct archaeological excavations on this plot. Here, archaeologists found 5 sites of the Southern Dynasty Buddhist Temple, and cleaned up Buddhist holy relics such as relics, pottery Buddha heads, gold leaf bodhisattva statues, golden vases, crystal beads, glass, and mica tablets.
△ Spectators dressed in period costumes
On April 28, 2022, "Smoke and Rain Terrace - Xiying Village Archaeological Documentary Exhibition" was exhibited at the Six Dynasties Museum, and the exhibition told the story of the ruins of the Nanchao Buddhist Temple in Xiying Village, Nanjing through more than 200 pieces (sets) of excavated cultural relics.
The front pagoda apse, the first temple to be discovered in the four hundred and eighty temples of the southern dynasty
The site of nanchao Buddhist temple in Xiying Village, Nanjing is located in Yuhuatai District, east of Fengtai South Road, south of Xiying Village Road, and west of Ningwu Railway, which is the construction plot of the first phase of Andemen Market. The plot covers an area of 78,920 square meters, originally a factory building, has been demolished, the surface has been artificially leveled, and the terrain in the east is about 2 meters-4 meters higher than the west. The plot belongs to the northwest section of Shizigang, which is on the verge of the Yangtze River before the east bank of the Tang and Song Dynasties moved west.
△ Southern Dynasty Tao Buddha
In August 2019, archaeologists from the Nanjing Institute of Archaeology entered the site to conduct archaeological excavations on the site. "This is the earliest, best-preserved, and most completely laid out Buddhist temple site found in Nanjing and even in the southern region, and it can be said that this is the first temple discovered among the four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasty." Gong Juping, the leader of the archaeological team and vice president of the Nanjing Archaeological Research Institute, told reporters.
△ Southern Dynasty glazed pottery Buddha head
"Four hundred and eighty temples in the south, how many buildings in the smoke and rain." A poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu reminds people of the prosperity of Buddhism in Nanjing during the Southern Dynasty. Gong Juping told the Modern Express reporter that in Nanjing, relics related to Buddhism in the Southern Dynasty have been found one after another: Qixiashan Grottoes, Zhongshan No. 2 Temple Ruins, Dingshan Temple Ruins, Changgan Temple Ruins, Clay Bridge Clay Statues, and Gold and Bronze Buddha Statues in Deji Square." The ruins of the past are relatively scattered and cannot reveal the overall situation of the temple. ”
△ Gong Juping, archeological team leader and vice president of Nanjing Institute of Archaeology
Gong Juping introduced that at the archaeological site in Xiying Village this time, 5 foundation sites of the Southern Dynasty Buddhist Temple were found, 9 Southern Tang kiln sites and large-scale kiln workshop remains, 18 ash pits of the Song Dynasty, and a large number of Ming Dynasty glass kiln relics. Among them, the Southern Dynasty Buddhist Temple is the most important discovery, archaeology shows that this Buddhist temple is centered on the pagoda, the existing area is about 7,000 square meters, showing a "front pagoda and rear hall" layout, supporting brick paving floor, drainage facilities and so on.
△ Five generations of pots
"The layout of the apse of the front pagoda centered on the pagoda provides extremely valuable physical materials for exploring the layout and architectural regulations of the Southern Dynasty Buddhist temple." Gong Juping said that this discovery is of great significance.
Rectangular vertical cave earthen enclosure, this style of dungeon was first discovered
△ Southern Dynasty Glass bead string
In the exhibition, the Qin half two of the Qin Dynasty, the five baht money of the Han Dynasty, the Jia four baht of the Southern Dynasty Liu Song... A row of slippery, copper coins from different periods, let everyone feast their eyes.
"The latest copper coin unearthed is the Liu Song Yuanjia four baht, which tells us that the age of the burial of the relics in the palace of the pagoda base is not earlier than the Liu Song Yuanjia period." Gong Juping said, "The clay sculptures and gilded Buddhist statue fragments excavated from the site, the lotus pattern tiles, the barrel tiles and the large stone pillar foundations all have typical Southern Dynasty characteristics, and it is comprehensively judged that this Buddhist temple site was built no earlier than the Southern Dynasty Liu Song Dynasty, destroyed during the Hou Jing Rebellion of the Liang Dynasty or the Sui Ping Chen."
△ Shihan
What is valuable is that archaeologists also found the remains of the rectangular vertical cave earthen "underground palace" in the center of the rammed earth platform at the base site of the pagoda, and cleared out the stone letters where the rubble buried the relics. "The style of the underground palace is very unique, it is the first time it has been found," Gong Juping told the Modern Express reporter, the burial method of shihan is to dig a rectangular vertical pit in the center of the tower after the rammed earth platform foundation is built, put the stone letter into the pit and then build and seal it with rammed earth layers. During the sealing process, a large amount of copper coins and other offerings are sprinkled on each layer. After the sealing is completed, the construction of the ground stupa building is carried out.
Excavating the rectangular "underground palace" with steps in the center of the tower and sealing the characteristics of the fistula in layers is different from previous discoveries, which provides important information for studying the burial method and connotation of the relics in the Six Dynasties period.
△ Statue of the Southern Dynasty Gold Leaf Bodhisattva
"Half two, cargo spring, cloth spring, five baht and other kinds of copper coins, as well as gold leaf bodhisattva statues, golden vases, crystal beads, glass, mica pieces ... They were all found in the Dungeon. Gong Juping introduced.
The smile of 1400 years ago is very meaningful
In the exhibition, the heads of the pottery Buddha are particularly attractive, they are smiling and looking particularly compassionate. "These pottery Buddha heads should be placed next to the main Buddha statue." Gong Juping said that the unearthed Buddha statues reflect the technical characteristics of shaping imaging, glazing, makeup and other craftsmanship, which provides new research materials for the study of Buddha statues in the Southern Dynasty.
△ South Dynasty glassware fragments
At the scene, glass beads, agate beads, glassware, amber ware were also exhibited... All kinds of Buddhist holy relics. Gong Juping explained that during the Southern Dynasty, Nanjing was a metropolis and had close exchanges with the world. These relics show the style of The South Asian region and reflect the close trade and cultural exchanges between the Jiankang region and the Silk Road countries during the Southern Dynasty.
△ Southern Dynasty Amber Reclining Beast
"The layout, architectural regulations, pagoda shape system and burial method of the Buddhist temple site in Xiying Village are extremely typical and representative, and are of great significance to the study of Buddhist monasteries in East Asia from the 5th to the 7th centuries." Gong Juping said that at present, the site has been protected, and in the future, there will be opportunities to display it to the public.
Modern Express + reporter Hu Yumei Qian Nianqiu / Wen Zhao Jie / Photo Qian Nianqiu / Video production