The beauty of Liao Dynasty architecture in Dule Temple deeply shook Liang Sicheng, and Khitan script disappeared for hundreds of years before reappearing. The Fangshan Stone Scriptures are magnificent and hold a high position in Chinese Buddhism. Over 160 brick carvings of Jin Dynasty opera, full of elements of traditional Chinese opera, were unveiled in the United States, sparking a long-lasting trend. From the 10th to the 13th century in northern China, the Khitan people established the vast Liao Dynasty, and the Jurchen people established the flourishing Jin Dynasty. The cultures of the Khitan and Jurchen people were widely integrated with the Central Plains culture, and soon achieved tremendous development. Together with other ethnic groups, they created a brilliant and dazzling Liao Jin culture.
In the early years of the Republic of China, a private school director named Lian from the Right Banner of Bahrain, in order to pay teachers a salary, led his students to excavate the tomb of Liao Yongxing, also known as the tomb of Liao Xingzong. During the excavation process, a huge tombstone was found inside, with a mysterious writing on it that was both similar to Chinese characters and different from Chinese characters, and no one could recognize it. This is the Khitan script. It was once the official script of the Liao Dynasty, but disappeared for hundreds of years until it reappeared in the Republic of China.
Liao Shengzong’s Lament for Empress Dowager’s Loyalty – Liaoning Provincial Museum
Liao Daozong’s Empress Xuanyi’s Lament Collection at Liaoning Provincial Museum
At that time, Belgian Louis Kelwin discovered the Khitan small characters “Lamentations of Emperor Xingzong” and “Lamentations of Empress Renyi” in the Catholic Church in Linxi County, as well as the Chinese characters “Lamentations of Empress Renyi”. Boxi and Kelwin reprinted their articles, quickly causing a wave of research on Khitan script. Words describe the inheritance of ethnic culture, and in the Liaoning Provincial Museum, there are fifteen huge tombstones quietly placed, which is truly spectacular. In 1930, Tang Zuorong, the son of warlord Tang Yulin, excavated the Yongqing Mausoleum of Emperor Shengzong of Liao and the Yongfu Mausoleum of Emperor Daozong of Liao in Walin Maha, and obtained these tombstones. After careful consideration, these tombstones were finally preserved in the Liaoning Provincial Museum for people to admire and study. These mournful inscriptions written in Khitan characters and Chinese characters will also help us unravel the secrets of Khitan script and delve into the history of the Khitan dynasty, which has been buried underground for nearly a thousand years. So, what kind of script is Khitan script.
Kang Peng, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The Khitan script can be divided into two types: the Khitan large script and the Khitan small script. The Khitan large script was created in the fifth year of the Shenji era, which is 920 AD. Currently, it is estimated that there should be around 3000 characters. The Khitan script is very mature in development and was still used until the Jin Dynasty.
Like the Liao Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty had no written script and had used the Khitan script in external communication. In order to change this situation, Emperor Taizu Wanyan Aguda ordered his minister Wanyan Xiyin to imitate the regular script of Chinese characters, refer to the Khitan script and the language of Jurchen, and create the Jurchen characters. Later, Emperor Jin Xizong created a type of Jurchen small character, which was used together with the Jurchen characters founded by Wanyan Xiyin. The Jurchen script continued to be used until the Ming Dynasty, and was included in the Hua Yi Yi Yu compiled by the Ming Dynasty’s Si Yi Guan. The Khitan script continued to be used after the creation of the Jurchen script, and it was not until the second year of the Ming Chang reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty that it was officially abolished.
Researcher of Jurchen Culture – Guo Changhai: This book “Huayi Translated Language” is stored in the Berlin Library in Germany. It was written by the Ming court for communication in the fifth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. Just like our current English Chinese dictionary, here are the Jurchen characters, and this Chinese translation is the pronunciation. Heaven: Abuha.
Guo Changhai is a folk scholar who is passionate about the study of Jurchen culture and has been studying Jurchen script for more than 20 years. In 2000, Guo Changhai met a professor in Berlin, Germany through a friend and learned that there was a book called “Jurchen Translation” written by the imperial court for general use in Berlin during the fifth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. Previously, there were only photographic photocopies available in China. After two years of unremitting efforts, Guo Changhai finally copied back this “Jurchen Translation”. In 2006, while celebrating the 888th anniversary of the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, Guo Changhai refined the Jurchen script on a ceramic plate. In this way, he welcomed the Jurchen script back to its birthplace, which is his hometown Acheng, Heilongjiang.
Lin Hu, Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: During the Jin Dynasty, it was a parallel system of Jurchen, Khitan, and Chinese characters, and its language was also a parallel system of Jurchen, Khitan, and Chinese. Therefore, the degree of integration of this ethnic group was even more complex than that of the Liao Dynasty. And on the other hand, its degree of sinicization is also deeper than that of the Liao Dynasty.
Today is a significant journey for Teacher Guo, who is already over 80 years old.
Professor Guo Daiqian from Tsinghua University: It’s also this road, but it’s not that wide, it’s quite narrow. At that time, I thought it was quite friendly.
As a student of the famous Chinese scholar Liang Sicheng, today she is going to revisit a temple that has been difficult for her teacher to part with throughout her life and has a huge attraction, which is the Dule Temple of the Liao Dynasty.
Guo Daixuan, a professor of Tsinghua University: When Mr. Liang Sicheng used to talk about these ancient buildings, he used the word “arch of wooden architecture is big, and the eaves of the mountain are deep. You can see that the eaves rise so far, right? This is a feature of buildings in that period. Standing here, you can see a very good picture frame. As soon as you step on the threshold, you can see a complete Guanyin Pavilion, so this is very rare. When Mr. Liang brought us here, he told us again about the things recorded in his books, and then took us to the bottom of the Guanyin Pavilion, and reviewed almost every group of arch of wooden architecture for us again. So the scene back then, I think it’s still flashing in my mind now.
Eighty years ago today, it was her teacher Liang Sicheng who discovered this ancient and elegant building. In the 1960s, Liang Sicheng organized fifteen students from the Tsinghua Architecture Department, including Professor Guo, to return to Dule Temple for surveying, thus fulfilling Mr. Liang’s long-standing wish. That unforgettable survey experience strengthened Teacher Guo’s determination to engage in the study of ancient Chinese architecture, and he devoted his whole life to it.
Professor Guo Daiqian from Tsinghua University: Mr. Liang was also very shocked when he saw this. The principal of a local elementary school accompanied him to see this. At first glance, Mr. Liang felt that no matter where he came from, whether it was the architecture or the Buddha statue, it was very shocking. So later, when we came to Mr. Liang again, he said again that seeing this thing was really amazing, so it basically retained the original things from the Liao Dynasty, including this painting, and these things remained unchanged, which is very rare.
The beauty of the Liao Dynasty architecture in Dule Temple deeply impressed Liang Sicheng. The Liao Dynasty statues in the temple also attracted Liang Sicheng, especially the clay statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva standing in the Guanyin Pavilion, which is 16 meters high and has a head directly reaching the top of a three story building. There are also ten small Guanyin statues on the head, so it is called the Eleven sided Guanyin. In the article “Record of the White Pagoda of Guanyin Temple in Jixian County”, Liang Sicheng praised it so much. Climbing up the upper level of Guanyin Pavilion in Dule Temple, he saw eleven Guanyin faces, with permanent smiles, kind eyes, and gazing forward, as if admiring the beautiful scenery of Jicheng. After Liang Sicheng’s investigation report on Dule Temple in Jixian County was published, it immediately shocked the academic community both domestically and internationally. This investigation report was the first report in China to describe and analyze ancient Chinese architecture using scientific methods, and Dule Temple was also the oldest wooden building discovered in China at that time. It was built in the second year of the Tonghe reign of the Liao Dynasty, which is 984 AD, showcasing a corner of the Buddhist culture of the Liao Dynasty.
Liaozhong Jingda Pagoda, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
The Khitan people originally believed in shamanism, which was a primitive polytheistic religion that believed in all things having spirits and focused on ancestor worship. Since the founding of the Liao Dynasty, simple shamanism beliefs have been unable to adapt to the development of society. With the introduction of Buddhism through contact with the Central Plains dynasties, the rulers of the Liao Dynasty began to worship Buddhism. Both Emperor Taizu of Liao and Emperor Taizong of Liao took measures to build Buddhist temples and hold Buddhist ceremonies. However, by the mid Liao Dynasty, the situation had undergone significant changes. Not only did the emperor and empress believe in it themselves, but they also strongly advocated for the continuous construction of temples, offering meals to monks, and providing high treatment to monks. The trend of worshipping Buddhism flourished throughout the entire dynasty.
Lin Hu from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Buddhism was very prosperous during the Liao Dynasty. In fact, the Khitans initially did not have a Buddhist belief, but instead brought Buddhism to the Liao Dynasty with the conquered people like the Han and Bohai people. Therefore, at the beginning, the rulers of the Liao Dynasty supported this Buddhism mainly for the purpose of using this religious belief to appease the conquered people. However, over time, it gradually became apparent that the rulers of the Liao Dynasty themselves had truly believed in Buddhism.
Fengguo Temple, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province
The Dafo Temple, located in Yixian County, Liaoning Province, was renamed Fengguo Temple after the Jin Dynasty. It was once a royal temple of the Liao Dynasty and was built by Emperor Shengzong in the hometown of his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao. The main hall houses the seven Buddhas of the past. At this time, Buddhist culture had blended seamlessly with traditional Chinese culture, becoming vast and profound, and a generation of female protagonist Empress Dowager Xiao was deeply attracted to it. Empress Dowager Xiao fast every January and holds major fasting ceremonies. On many special days, Empress Dowager Xiao also holds grand Buddhist ceremonies. In July 986 AD, Empress Dowager Xiao issued an edict, citing the defeat of the Song army’s three major armies in the Northern Expedition, to conduct a large-scale Buddhist service at the Longsi Temple in Shangjing for a month. There were tens of thousands of rice monks, and Empress Dowager Xiao advocated Buddhism in this way. Women in the Liao Dynasty followed suit, and the Buddhist worship trend flourished. Many aristocratic women were enthusiastic about Buddhist services, copying Buddhist scriptures, providing food to rice monks, transforming their homes into Buddhist temples, and collecting money to build pagodas. Buddhist culture flourished in the Liao Dynasty.
Yunju Temple in the Tibetan Scripture Cave, Beijing
Among all the temples, Yunju Temple is famous for its numerous Tang and Liao stone scriptures, which are known as Buddhist holy sites and the Great Wall of Stone Scriptures. These stone scriptures also tell the story of the Liao Dynasty’s inheritance and development of Buddhist culture. The Fangshan Stone Scriptures were created by Master Jingwan, a prominent monk of the Sui Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Yunju Temple was built and the stone scriptures continued to be printed. However, due to the wars since the late Tang Dynasty, not only were the stone scriptures unable to be printed, but even the Yunju Temple was destroyed. When Emperor Shengzong of Liao rebuilt the Yunju Temple, he was greatly shocked to find the stone chamber and stone scriptures, and decided to continue printing the stone scriptures. The massive carving project was launched again. Later, through the two dynasties of Emperor Xingzong and Emperor Daozong of Liao, he completed the carving of 600 scriptures, including the “Da Ban Ruo Jing” and “Da Bao Ji Jing”, totaling 2730 scriptures that originally existed in the “Nirvana Sutra” and “Huayan Jing”, collectively known as the Four Great Classics. If all the scriptures are called the Great Tripitaka, and the Four Great Tripitaka are called the Small Tripitaka, they are magnificent and hold a noble position in Chinese Buddhism.
Bo Jia Jiao Cang Dian Shanxi Datong Huayan Temple
The development of block printing has made it possible to print and engrave the Tripitaka. Datong in Shanxi is the capital of western Liaoning, and Huayan Temple sits west to east, reflecting the Qidan people’s custom of worshipping the Japanese in the east. The existing the Shakya ManiHall and Bojia Temple are the buildings of the Liao Dynasty. According to the inscription, the Tripitaka of the Liao Dynasty was once collected here. The Khitan Tripitaka was printed based on the Shu version of the Song Dynasty’s Kaibao Tripitaka during the reign of Emperor Xingzong of the Liao Dynasty, and tried to supplement the missing content in the Song version. During the reign of Emperor Xingzong of the Liao Dynasty, 597 ranks were completed, while during the reign of Emperor Daozong of the Liao Dynasty, the collection and printing continued. It is a magnificent sight, with different styles of pagodas showcasing the superb architectural techniques of the Liao Dynasty.
Qingzhou Shakyamuni Buddha Pagoda, Balin Right Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia
The Qingzhou Shakyamuni Buddha Pagoda, located in Balin Right Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia today, was painted white by the white worshippers of the Khitans. This brick and wood structure of the pagoda stands tall, and its heavenly palace houses numerous exquisite Buddhist statues, pagodas, and other Buddhist relics. The the Shakya ManiHall of Shanhua Temple in Datong, Shanxi, and the scripture closet of Bojia Temple in Huayan Temple are classic works of Buddhist architecture in the Liao Dynasty.
Lin Hu, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: With the prosperity of Buddhism, it has also had some very important impacts on various aspects of society, such as literature, art, architecture, and so on. For example, the Liao Dynasty architecture that we can see today, which still exists on the ground, is basically related to Buddhism.
Yingxian Muta, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, Yingxian County
This is the magnificent Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, with a total height of 67.31 meters. It was built in 1056 AD and is the oldest and largest existing all wood high-rise tower style building in the world. The tower is five stories high, plus the four floors above the flat seat hidden layer, which is actually a nine story overlapping wooden frame structure. Such a huge body, however, is all built with traditional columns and beams, arch of wooden architecture. The eaves and flat seats on each floor are supported by arch of wooden architecture, and the structure is very complex. However, the builders of the Liao Dynasty used more than 50 different arch of wooden architecture to successfully solve all problems, which can be called a masterpiece, and a national treasure.
Buddhist culture continued to be inherited during the Jin Dynasty. In the early years of the Jin Dynasty, both the emperor and empress would pay homage to Buddha statues. When the officials arrived at the temples, monks sat down and the vast Yanjing city was lined with Buddhist temples, with thirty-six of them belonging to the Vinaya sect. Later, Zen monks from the Central Plains came to Yanjing and established four Buddhist temples: Taiping, Zhaoti, Zhulin, and Ruixiang. Nowadays, the remains of Xiangshan Temple in the western part of Beijing are still solemn. During the reign of Emperor Jin, the original Ji’an and Xiangshan temples were merged into one, and Emperor Zhang bestowed the name Da Yong’an Temple.
Tanzhe Temple, Beijing
The Tanzhe Temple, famous for its Longtan behind the temple and Zhe trees on the mountain, was named Da Wanshou Temple during the reign of Emperor Jin Xizong.
Guangsheng Temple, Hongdong County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province
In the Jin Dynasty, woodblock printing technology was advanced. This Guangsheng Temple, built in the first year of Jianhe in the Eastern Han Dynasty, gained great fame and caused a sensation due to the emergence of the Jin Dynasty’s printing of Tripitaka. The Jin Tripitaka was based on the “Kaibaozang” of the Song Dynasty and the official version of Buddhist scriptures. In April 2001, using the “Jinzang” as the base, eight representative versions of the Tripitaka, including the “Yunju Temple Stone Sutra” from Fangshan, were selected for proofreading and editing to form the “Chinese Tripitaka”, which was returned to Guangsheng Temple in Hongdong, Shanxi. Master Jishi, as the guardian of the Golden Tripitaka in the temple, has been practicing here for many years. Every day, the master comes to the temple to worship and pray for the protection of the scriptures from the Buddha. For over a thousand years, the monks of Guangsheng Temple have been guarding the Buddhist scriptures in the temple with such piety for generations.
Master Ji Shi: This is the Chinese Tripitaka that was photocopied using the base plate of the “Zhao Cheng Jin Cang”. The “Zhao Cheng Jin Cang” has over 7000 volumes and a wide collection range. At that time, the printing industry in the Jin Dynasty was also relatively developed, and the quality of photocopying was also very good. The following is the original page of the “Zhao Cheng Jin Cang”, which is also the “Kai Bao Cang”.
However, overall, Buddhism during the Jin Dynasty was far less prosperous than that of the Liao Dynasty. Perhaps the rulers of the Jin Dynasty learned from the historical lessons of the Liao Dynasty’s abolition.
Lin Hu, Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: In the late Liao Dynasty, Buddhism caused great pressure on society, mainly because there were too many monks at that time. After all, monks themselves did not engage in social production activities, which means they relied on society to support them. If the number of monks in a society was too large, it would cause an excessive social burden, which would lead to a certain social crisis.
The Liao Dynasty was established by the Khitan people, who were originally primitive ethnic groups. Liao Taizu Yelv Abaoji adopted the suggestion of the Han people and established a strong dynasty by imitating the Central Plains system. Both Liao Taizu himself and the new dynasty were deeply benefited by advanced Han culture. At the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Emperor Taizu of Liao held a far-reaching conference, which would determine the most important ideological and cultural route of the Liao Dynasty. Emperor Taizu of Liao announced his idea to the courtiers to better govern the Chinese people, including the Han people, by worshipping saints. He asked, “I want to worship a person with great merit, who should it be. At this time, Buddhism has been widely spread, and courtiers all believe that it should be worshipped to Buddha. However, Emperor Taizu of Liao did not recognize it. He believed that Buddhism is not a Chinese religion and cannot be accepted. Crown Prince Yel ü Bei proposed that Confucius, the Great Sage, should be respected by all generations, and this idea is in line with Emperor Taizu of Liao.”. He immediately decided to establish a Confucian temple and ordered the Crown Prince to release his memorial during the Spring and Autumn period, which meant that Confucianism was established as the orthodox culture of the Liao Dynasty.
Confucius Statue – Confucius Temple in Qufu City, Shandong Province
The Han culture, with Confucianism as its core, was widely spread in the Liao Dynasty, and a large number of Han Confucian scholars were highly valued. Many Confucian talents with extensive knowledge of classics and history also emerged in the Khitan ethnic group. Yel ü bei, the eldest son of Liao Taizu, was deeply influenced by Confucian culture. The mountains press down, leaving the mountains powerless. This earliest poem from the Liao Dynasty was written by Yel ü Bei. In addition to composing poetry, Yel ü Bei is also skilled in drawing traditional Chinese paintings. His fifteen paintings were collected by the Song Dynasty. Among them, hunting and riding paintings were still highly valued until the Yuan Dynasty. Liao Dynasty paintings were greatly influenced by Tang Dynasty paintings. If we enter Qingling of the Liao Dynasty, we will find that most of the murals inside were greatly influenced by Tang Dynasty murals. The tradition of Han people’s historical compilation gradually received attention from the Liao Dynasty. As early as the time of Emperor Taizu of the Liao Dynasty, there was an official position to supervise the compilation of national history. Emperor Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty imitated the establishment of a national history museum in the Song Dynasty and began to compile the history of the Liao Dynasty. It was not until the last emperor of the Liao Dynasty, Emperor Tianzuo, that 70 volumes of the “Imperial Records” were compiled, which became the main basis for Yuan people to compile the “History of the Liao”.
In the Liao Dynasty, the culture of the Khitan people was not ignored. If Confucian culture was the outline of their governance, Khitan culture played a role in maintaining national cohesion and pride. Khitan language, writing, and folk customs were well protected, and Khitan culture was also developing. When the Khitan people absorbed Confucian culture, they always consciously integrated Khitan culture into it, making it an organic component of national culture.
Kang Peng, Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Nomadic civilization and agricultural civilization, regardless of their thinking habits, production methods, or military offensive models, are completely different. However, the Khitans were able to combine these two very well, which is an important innovation in Chinese history.
Compared with the Liao Dynasty, the rulers of the Jin Dynasty placed more emphasis on Confucianism. The Jin Dynasty successively destroyed the Liao Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty. Although it still tried its best to maintain the traditional culture of Jurchen, in fact, Confucianism gradually occupied the most important position in the culture of the Jin Dynasty.
Yuan Haowen’s Hometown, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province
This is Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, the hometown of Yuan Haowen, a famous writer and historian of the Jin Dynasty. In order to commemorate this generation of literary masters known as the Poetic Historian of the Jin Dynasty, calligraphers carved Yuan Haowen’s poetry and prose on a monument and built a forest of steles to spread his knowledge.
Lin Hu from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: When it comes to Yuan Haowen, the first thing that comes to mind is the Condor Heroes. At the beginning, there is an important figure named Li Mochou, who is a murderous and vicious demon. However, many people do not have a bad impression of her, and there is no aversion to her. This is closely related to the song she sang when she appeared. The lyrics of this song are about asking what love is in the world, teaching people life and death. This is not written by Jin Yong himself, but in fact, this is Yuan Haowen’s work. It means that his lyrics can make a person and everyone think of a female demon, which is… A very malicious and insidious person, to some extent, has developed a favorable impression, so you can see the charm of the words he writes.
Yuan Haowen was born in the first year of the Mingchang reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty. He excelled in both character and education from a young age and stood out in the imperial examination. The Jin Dynasty was founded in 1115, and eight years later, the imperial examination was implemented, which included two subjects: Ci Fu and Jing Yi, in order to recruit Han literati from the former territory of the Liao Dynasty. During the reign of King Hailing of the Jin Dynasty, the Jing Yi subject was abolished and only Ci Fu was tested. After Emperor Jin Shizong, the imperial examination became the main way to enter officialdom. Schools flourished day by day, and scholars ranked as prime ministers from the imperial examination, facing each other. As a result, Confucianism was promoted to the greatest extent possible, reaching its peak by Emperor Jin Zhangzong. As the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Jin Zhangzong received Jurchen culture from a young age and mastered Jurchen script proficiently. However, Jin Zhangzong used more Chinese characters and was obsessed with Chinese culture, possessing deep Confucian cultivation. Jin Zhangzong was also skilled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and his thin gold calligraphy was both divine and physical. Under his advocacy, many famous calligraphers emerged in the Jin Dynasty. Wang Tingyun and Zhao Bingwen were both famous calligraphers at that time, and Dang Huaiying’s seal script and Zhou script were known as the best in the world, standing alone in the Jin Dynasty.
Da Jin De Sheng Tuo Song Stele, Songyuan City, Jilin Province
The “Da Jin De Sheng Tuo Song Stele”, which praises the martial arts of Emperor Jin Taizu, was inscribed in seal script. In the fourth year of Taihe, the Taihe treasure he wrote was minted on coins.
Lin Hu, Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Zhang Zong was a person who highly respected China’s literary tradition, so during his time, a culture of valuing literature was formed throughout the Jin Dynasty, including the literary world of the entire Jin Dynasty. He also formed what later became known as the Guochao Literary School, a literary genre of the Jin Dynasty itself.
Chongyang Palace, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province
In the Jin Dynasty, Taoism gradually flourished. Although Taiyi and Daoism were both popular, the most prosperous was Quanzhen Taoism. The founder of Quanzhen Taoism, Wang Zhe, also known as Chongyangzi, advocated for the integration of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. He regarded the Taoist Tao Te Ching, the Buddhist Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, and the Confucian Filial Piety Sutra as classics. This fusion followed the development of the times and was an important reason for the prosperity of Quanzhen Taoism. In his early years, Wang Chongyang had a wealthy family, was benevolent, and had both civil and military abilities. However, the hero had no place to use his martial arts, and he was desperate for his career. He switched to Taoism. Self proclaimed Wang Zaifeng.
Zu’an Stele Forest, Huxian County, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province
The Chongyang Palace, located in Zu’an Town, Huxian County, Shaanxi Province today, was the place where the founder Wang Chongyang practiced Taoism and hid bones in his early years. It is one of the three ancestral halls of the Quanzhen Sect and was known as the world’s ancestral hall during the Jin Dynasty.
Tombs of the Living Dead in Huxian County, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province
Quanzhen Seven Sons Stele Inscription, Chongyang Palace, Huxian County, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province
This tomb of the living dead, located not far from the Chongyang Palace, is said to be the place where Wang Chongyang practiced. In the Quanzhen Sect, besides the first Wang Chongyang, there are also famous Quanzhen Seven Sons. One day in the seventh year of the Dading reign, Wang Chongyang burned down his residence and wandered the world, eventually arriving in Ninghai, Shandong. He argued with the local tycoon Ma Congyi and built the Quanzhen Temple here. Ma Congyi changed his name to Ma Yu and his Taoist name was Danyangzi. Later, Wang Chongyang also led Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, Sun Buer, and others to enter the temple. These seven were known as the Seven Sons of Quanzhen. Among the seven sons of Quanzhen, Qiu Chuji made the greatest contribution. In 1188 AD, Qiu Chuji was the first to win the favor of Emperor Jin. Emperor Jin summoned Qiu Chuji twice a month to inquire about the techniques of longevity and governance for the people. Qiu Chuji analyzed the principles of heaven and man and explained the principles of morality to Emperor Jin Shizong, which was very pleasing. This was the first time Qiu Chuji promoted his views to the highest ruler and achieved success. Emperor Jin Shizong not only personally bestowed a large peach as a sign of praise, but also had Qiu Chuji preside over the Wan Spring Festival ceremony. He ordered the statue of Wang Zhe, the founder of the Quanzhen Sect, to be sculpted in the palace and temple, and the influence of the Quanzhen Sect immediately soared. In 1203 AD, Liu Chuxuan passed away, and Qiu Chuji became the fifth leader of the Quanzhen Sect, with a teaching time of 24 years. He directly inherited the idea of Wang Chongyang’s three religions being one each, believing that the great ways shown by the ancestors had their own interests and principles, which were consistent and not contradictory.
Lin Hu from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The Jin Dynasty was a period of great prosperity for Taoism, and it was also another climax. Firstly, it was related to the wars in the north during the Song and Jin dynasties. The general public also suffered from this war. On the one hand, Taoism has various religious rituals, and magic can help ordinary people, such as those who are aware of death, have a certain way to express their grief through various magic. On the other hand, it itself is also a kind of philosophy with a relatively profound concept, such as transcendence and transcendence.
Taixu Palace, Qixia City, Shanxi Province
From 1203 to 1219 AD, Qiu Chuji preached in Penglai, Zhiyang, Yexian, Beihai, and Jiaoxi, Shandong. With his active influence in society and politics, the development of Quanzhen religion entered a prosperous period, and Qiu Chuji’s reputation grew higher and higher, undoubtedly playing a huge promoting role in the development of Quanzhen religion. However, as he grew older, Qiu Chuji no longer traveled around and only preached and taught in his hometown of Qixia. From then on, Mongolia had risen, and Mongolian cavalry invaded Central Asia, engaging in fierce battles with the Jin Dynasty. In the year 1219 AD, an unusual event occurred. Genghis Khan invited Qiu Chuji, seemingly to seek advice on health preservation, but in reality, he was asking about the great plan for governing the country and ensuring national security. Qiu Chuji completely disregarded his seventy-two year old age and gladly accepted the invitation to visit Genghis Khan again. What is the reason why Qiu Chuji made such a move from Qixia, Shandong, on the coast of the Yellow Sea, to Central Asia, thousands of miles away. Qiu Chuji has realized that the fate of China’s future has historically fallen on Genghis Khan and his regime. In order to promote the future development of Quanzhen religion and fulfill his ambitions, he must meet Genghis Khan and receive his support. This is an epoch-making event in the history of religion. When Qiu Chuji, with his immortal demeanor, traveled westward to the snowy mountains to camp and met Genghis Khan, he was extremely moved. He treated Qiu Chuji as a guest of honor and the two of them discussed the snow mountains. Qiu Chuji was good at persuading and guiding, and Genghis Khan nodded frequently. The words of the gods and immortals were in line with my heart. Qiu Chuji not only spread the path of immortality to Genghis Khan and introduced the teachings of Quanzhen Taoism, but also slowly infused the ideas of eliminating violence, preventing killing, benefiting the world and the people, and promoting benevolence, love, and filial piety into Genghis Khan’s heart and mind, reducing the number of killings by Mongolian cavalry. This was a blessing for the common people and also allowed Quanzhen Taoism to continue to develop after the Jin Dynasty.
Lin Hu from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Qiu Chuji’s visit to Genghis Khan cannot be completely considered a political transaction. He really wants to try to use Taoist doctrine to persuade Genghis Khan to do something for the people, such as persuading him not to kill, exempting taxes in northern regions, and so on. From this perspective, he does have his own ideas and ideals.
Shanxi Jin Dynasty Opera Brick Carving Art Exhibition, New York, USA
In New York, USA, a five year old Shanxi Jin Dynasty opera brick carving art exhibition called “Life and Death Together” is currently being held. More than 160 brick carvings full of traditional Chinese opera elements have appeared in the United States, sparking a long-lasting trend and attracting unprecedented attention from all sectors of the international community to Chinese opera and Shanxi Golden Tombs.
Brick Carving of Jin Dynasty Tombs in Jishan County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province
The brick carvings in the Shanxi Golden Tomb have four courtyard residential layouts with front and back rooms, left and right wing rooms, and various styles. The brick carvings of birds, animals, flowers, and plants are dazzling. Across from the tomb owner, there is a stage band with instruments such as waist drums, clapping boards, and horizontal flutes. Walking into the Golden Tomb, there are myths of the Eight Immortals, auspicious clouds and cranes, as well as social fires and singing performances. The brick carvings are vivid and vivid, as if walking into the social scenes of that era. This brick carving of a woman holding the door half open depicts the lyrics of Dong Jieyuan, a Jin Dynasty opera performer, in his “Record of the Western Chamber of Dong Jieyuan’s Palace Diao”: “Flowers and trees are shaded, occasionally passing by weeping willows, fragrant breeze blowing, half open the vermilion door, glimpsing a flower like surface.”. This is also the aesthetic sentiment in the life of the tomb owner, expressing their pursuit and longing for art.
Director of Shanxi Museum – Li Yong: These unearthed brick carved figures and stages demonstrate the love of Shanxi people for traditional Chinese opera during the Jin Dynasty. This means that not only did they watch opera during their lifetime, but they continued to do so even after their death. According to traditional Chinese beliefs, death is like life, and after death is a continuation of life. Tombs reflect the living conditions of the deceased during their lifetime.
The dramas of the Jin Dynasty not only inherited the artistic characteristics of the Liao and Northern Song dynasties, but also had more diverse performance content. The Jin Dynasty had zaju, as well as courtyard and palace tunes. Zhugong Diao is a rap art that originated in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is characterized by both speaking and singing, with a focus on singing. The singing part is composed of many different palace tunes. Although the performance of Zhugong Diao has disappeared, “Dong Jieyuan’s Records of the Western Chamber Zhugong Diao” cannot be reproduced on the real stage. However, Wang Shifu’s “Romance of the Western Chamber” is still spreading, inheriting many excellent achievements from Dong Jieyuan’s works. Famous playwrights Guan Hanqing and Wang Shifu were both born in the late Jin Dynasty, and the development of Jin Dynasty drama opened a brilliant era in the history of ancient Chinese opera.
Professor Lv Wenli from Shanxi Normal University: The opera of the Jin Dynasty should have played a foundational role in the history of Chinese opera. In my opinion, it is a stepping stone for qualitative transformation, which is the transition from a humorous play, a skit style comedy performance, to a mature theatrical form that uses song and dance to perform stories. In this place, a stepping stone is needed. The combination of rap art and the Jin Academy has effectively achieved this qualitative transformation.
Jin Dynasty Stage, Gaoping City, Shanxi Province
This is Wangbao Village, Gaoping City, southeastern Shanxi Province. In the Erlang Temple of the village, there is an ancient stage with a structure similar to that of the stage in modern ancient tombs. According to experts in cultural relics and ancient architecture, it is the earliest modern stage discovered in China to date. Every Spring Festival, the people of Wangbao Village sing a grand opera on the ancient stage to celebrate the festive New Year holiday. This tradition has continued for nearly a thousand years. Although the emphasis on opera has changed over time, this Jin Dynasty ancient stage has witnessed the local people’s longing for a better life and love for national art for many years.
Just as the people of Wangbao Village were welcoming the New Year with a grand performance at the Jin Dynasty stage, a performance inspired by the Jin Dynasty Jurchen dance was about to take place in Acheng, Heilongjiang, thousands of miles away. This Jurchen dance, based on the Jurchen sheet music, is Guo Changhai’s dedication and wish over the years. He carefully collected and organized the Jurchen music and dance, and invited someone to translate, organize and arrange the Jurchen sheet music that was preserved and passed down by his grandfather. The long sleeves fluttered, with a soft yet strong tone. This 800 year old Jurchen music and dance is finally presented to us today.
Master Jishi continues to guard the Tripitaka. On certain days, he carefully removes dust and gently flips through the scriptures. His expression is always focused and respectful, and he must carefully guard this millennium old scripture and keep it passed down. Professor Guo, who is over 80 years old, has finally returned to Dule Temple. She is planning a joint exhibition with Tsinghua University to celebrate the discovery of Dule Temple by Liang Sicheng, allowing more people to understand the cultural charm of this millennium old temple.
This is the culture of Liao and Jin dynasties, which is inherited in one continuous line and has its own characteristics. They are not as desolate as people imagined in the past, nor are they as forgotten as people imagine. However, with the efforts of many people, they have once again become brilliant and blossoming. It is not only a cultural creation and accumulation, but also a inheritance of the inner character and spiritual temperament of the Chinese nation. In that era, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all experienced varying degrees of development. Calligraphy, painting, music, drama, and architecture each displayed magnificent colors, and together they integrated into the vast and rich Chinese civilization, becoming traditional highlights and historical legends.
90 Seconds in History: Battle of Blackwater City
Baole Auntie lives in Dalaihubu Town, Ejina Banner, Inner Mongolia. For hundreds of years, Mongolian herdsmen like her have adhered to a mysterious ancient saying that they cannot approach the nearby ancient castle, Heishui City. Aunt Pauler was unaware that the mysterious warning from her ancestors originated from a brutal war that occurred here over 700 years ago. The strong Mongol army launched multiple attacks on Western Xia, serving as the military gateway of Western Xia. The defenders of Blackwater City fought fiercely against the strong Mongol army, resulting in heavy casualties among the defending soldiers and people. The vicious curse made the city full of Yin Qi. Since then, the local Mongols have passed down an ancient saying that they cannot enter Blackwater City. The sandstorms gradually covered up Blackwater City and a mysterious dynasty that lasted for nearly 200 years. Years ago, a Russian camel caravan arrived here and discovered a treasure even more precious than gold, gradually revealing an incredibly mysterious and brilliant dynasty – Western Xia.
