Dule Si

From Wiki China org cn

The Dule Si (Dule Temple) was named after the gurgling spring behind it. Also known as Temple of the Great Buddha, it is situated near the Western Gate of Jixian County, Tianjin Municipality. Most of the buildings of this temple were ruined during the 841-846 reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty, who pursued a policy of cracking down on Buddhism. Some of the buildings were restored in 984 (2nd year of the Tonghe reign, Liao Dynasty), and more buildings were added during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The centerpieces of the temple – from the gate hall at the front to the Guanyin Pavilion at the rear – are aligned along a central line, with monks’ dormitories and the Qing emperors’ temporary palaces on both sides.

A major attraction of the Dule Temple is a 16-m-tall statue of the Goddess of Mercy in the finely crafted image of a lady who looks graceful and composed despite her awesome stature. This is reputedly representative of the best of sculpture in the Liao tradition. The pavilion that shelters this statue is a stately 23-meter-high building under a roof with three-layered eaves, and its four walls are graced with murals three meters high and 45 meters in total length in the portrayal of the 16 arhats in lifelike images of two meters height. These murals were done during the Liao Dynasty but were later covered up with mortar, and it was not until 1971 that they were brought to light and their invaluable artistic attainment began to be fully appreciated.