As Buddhism was introduced to China in the Han Dynasty(202 B.C-220 A.D.), Chinese styled Buddhist architecture was gradually formed. It displays Chinese architectural aesthetics and tradition. Monasteries are the main building devoted to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
In ancient times, many kings and emperors were Buddhists. By the support of the monarchs, the construction of monasteries was greatly enhanced. During the Northern Wei Dynasty(386-534), there were over 30,000 monasteries across the country. Some building materials and decorations only for palaces were also allowed to be used for Buddhist constructions in the subsequent dynasties, such as glazed tiles, elaborate carvings and red painted pillars. Therefore, the monasteries look more splendid than before.
According to the traditional Chinese architectural practice, buildings in a monastery are arranged symmetrically along a north-south axis. The main buildings stand on the axis with south-facing front doors. Generally, there are three major buildings in a monastic compound, namely the Heavenly Kings’ Hall, the Mahavira Hall(or the Great Buddha Hall) and the Back Hall. Several outbuildings can be also found in some big monasteries, such as the Mountain-Gate Hall, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower.
The Mountain-Gate Hall
The Mountain-Gate Hall stands at the entrance of a monastery. It is also called the Three-Gate Hall. There are three doors at the entrance. The middle one is called Kong-men in Chinese. “Kong” means empty and “Men” means a door or a gate in English. The left one(west) is Wuxiang-men. Wuxiang means formless. The Buddhists should not indulge themselves in the worldly attachment, since what can be seen by the naked eye might give an illusion. They should not observe the world with their eyes, but with the their purified mind. The right one(east) is Wuzuo-men. Wuzuo means to avoid any Karma or to cease desires. The word “Karma” refers to the sum of one's good and bad actions in one of their lives, believed to decide what will happen to them in the next life. The three doors respectively represent the enlightenment, the Darma and the Sangha. The Mountain-Gate Hall is usually safeguarded by two Vajras, General Heng and General Ha.
The Heavenly Kings’ Hall
The Heavenly Kings are the guardians in the four parts of heaven, namely King Virudhaka in the South, King Dhrtarastra in the East, King Vaisravana in the West and King Virupakkha in the North. Their images are placed on both sides of the Heavenly Kings’ Hall. Maitreya Bodhisattva sits in the middle with his legs crossed. He is also called the Buddha in the Future or the Laughing Buddha. Veda Bodhisattva is regarded as the guardian of Buddhas and the custodian of Darma. He often stands behind Maitreya Bodhisattva, facing the Mahavira Hall.
The Mahavira Hall
The Mahavira Hall is also called the Great Buddha’s Hall or the Great Hero’s Hall. It is devoted to Sakyamuni Buddha and some other Master Buddhas. There is a main alter for daily Buddhist ceremony or practice in the hall. The arrangement and choice of images are different in monasteries. It is more common to place Sakyamuni Buddha’s image on the main alter for worship. His image is flanked by two retinues’ on both sides, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. The Mahavira Hall also houses the statues of Eighteen Arhats.
The Back Hall
The Back Hall is usually partitioned into three sections. The middle one is an altar for a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. The right one is a small shrine to the founder of the monastery. The left functions as a lecture room.
The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower
The Bell Tower is devoted to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. He is accompanied by his retinues, Min-Gong and Dao-Ming. Min-Gong stands on the right side of Ksitigarbha. The one on the left is Dao-Ming. He was the son of Min-Gong. The father and the son lived in Jiuhua Mountain and became monks after they met Master Kin Kiaokak who was the incarnation of Ksitigarbha.
The Drum Tower usually houses a big drum and the statue of Guan Yu. Guan Yu is the most famous figure in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a general of the Shu-Han State(221-265). Guan Yu is regarded as the Protector of Buddhist Monasteries.
The other constructions in some of the monasteries are Pagodas, the Seven-Buddha Hall, the 500-Arhat Hall, the Library of Buddhist Scriptures and the Sutra-Chanting Hall.
Known as Stupa, a pagoda was originally used to keep the Sarira, the relics of Buddha Sakyamuni. The architecture of pagoda was introduced to China, along with the spread of Buddhism. However, it was gradually developed into a pavilion-like pagoda and assimilated into Chinese traditional architecture. In ancient times, Chinese people built many different pagodas, like timber pagodas, stone pagodas, iron pagoda and bronze pagodas. Most of them had several storeys and sides. Some of the old pagodas have survived from weathering and disasters, such as the Brick Pagoda of Songyue Monastery in Henan Province and the Dayan Pagoda(or the Wild-Goose Pagoda) in Xi’an. The former was built in the year of 520, and the latter was constructed in the year of 652.
Living quarters for monks who live in the monastery are usually separated from the main buildings and located at the east part of the compound, such as bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and storehouses. The buildings at the west part are offered to the monks who are on their trip and pay a visit to the monastery.
Author: Tina Luo
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