There is Yushan Mountain in the northwest of Kunming, hovering for more than ten miles, with green peaks, deep forests, tinkling mountain springs and white clouds. Jade box is clear and blue, which was one of the six scenic spots of Yang Dian in ancient times.

Yu 'an Mountain is not only a scenic spot, but also a Buddhist resort in Kunming, with Zen temples all over the mountain. There are more than ten ancient Buddhist temples with a long history, great influence and flourishing incense, among which Zhu Qian Temple is the first. There are 500 colorful Luohan sculptures with beautiful shapes and renowned at home and abroad. It is said that this bamboo temple was founded by Gao Guang and Gao Zhi brothers, brick artists in Dali (now Kunming). According to legend, two brothers went hunting in the Western Hills, and a rhinoceros jumped out, then chased it and disappeared in the mountains northwest of Jade Case Book. Looking up to the mountainside, auspicious clouds filled the air, and several strange-looking monks stood in the clouds. They hurried up the hill to find them. When they got there, the monks had disappeared without a trace, and only a few bamboo sticks supported by different monks were inserted on the ground. Brother Gao wanted to pull it out to see what was going on, but they tried their best to pull it out. The next day, I saw that bamboo poles had grown into green bamboo forests. They were very surprised, thinking that the gods showed that this was a precious land of Buddhism, so they built a temple here and named it bamboo. In this regard, a couplet at the entrance of the temple summed it up like this:

The land is in Lingshan, the white elephant is auspicious and the green lion is auspicious;

Heaven opens the sky, and rhinoceros looks different, just like the legend of Zhu Ji.

The legend of building a temple, Lohan, may be a myth fabricated by temple builders to improve the reputation of the temple. In fact, the word bamboo was first used in the Han Dynasty. Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions and saw Shu Bu and bamboo sticks in the summer (Afghan) market. This kind of bamboo stick is considered as a famous product exported from Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in ancient times. And the staff and monks are inextricably linked. Therefore, taking bamboo as the name of the temple may not only reflect the dense scenery of bamboo in this area, but also imply that its temples are representatives of Buddhist temples in Yunnan. At the beginning of the establishment of bamboo temple, it was not valued by people. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, an eloquent monk gave lectures here, and his reputation gradually rose. Li is a Kunming native, an eloquent and well-known surname. He was a high-heeled disciple of Dali Buddhist Yang Ziyun when he was young.

At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, he studied in the Central Plains for 25 years and studied under four highly respected wizards. He is a famous monk in Kunming. When he arrived at Zhu Qian Temple, Xuanjian, an eloquent disciple, received the Tripitaka of Yuan Wuzong and the imperial edict of Yuan Renzong, and named Xuanjian as the abbot of the temple. The pastoral, landscape, population and pavement in the temple were not allowed to be occupied by others. Later, this imperial edict was carved into a monument and now stands on the left side of the main hall. The tablet is about 1.5 m high and about 1 m wide, which is a straight book. One side is Mongolian, and the other side is from China. Chinese is an estimate of vernacular at that time, so it is also called vernacular tablet, which is an important material to study the economy, oral characteristics and Buddhist development of temples in Yunnan in Yuan Dynasty. Fan buried the old bamboo, and in the long years, the bamboo temple was repeatedly destroyed. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 14 19), Jihai was burned into a hazelnut market. The reconstruction of Yongle Renyin (1422) was completed in Xuande Wushen (1428) and lasted for 7 years. After many repairs, it was destroyed during the Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty, and rebuilt from the 11th year of Guangxu to the 17th year of Guangxu (A.D. 1885- 189 1). The existing temples were left over from the late Qing Dynasty. The famous 500 arhat colored sculptures were also completed in this period.

The 500 arhats were made by Sichuan folk sculptor Li Guangxiu (word Desheng) and his five or six assistants after seven years of hard work (A.D. 1833- 1890). These works are displayed on the two walls of the main hall (68 statues), Tiantai Laige (265,438+06 statues) and Fanyin Pavilion (265,438+06 statues), which are divided into upper, middle and lower floors. The upper and lower floors are mostly subordinate images, and the middle floor is mostly vertical images, which are symmetrically arranged, such as the dragon descending on the left and the tiger crouching on the right. Clouds on the left, fog on the right, and so on. It is said that the work of the statue is too big to be completed by Li Guangxiu alone, and the upper and lower floors are mostly created by his assistants; The floor in the middle is very important. He made it. There are many fine products.

China's Buddha sculpture flourished in the Jin Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and the existing caves such as Yungang and Longmen excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty are its brilliant representatives. Probably because the average Buddha statue requires majesty and solemnity, extraordinary holiness, sitting with hands folded, without feelings and full of unspeakable wisdom; Lohan, in practice, can express all kinds of feelings in life through them, which is loved by people and gives artists a broad world to play their creativity.

Therefore, some people between the monks and the vulgar are famous for their good paintings of arhats, such as Li Luohan in the later Han Dynasty and Guan Lin in the later Shu Dynasty. There were only sixteen arhats at the beginning of the painting, and then it gradually evolved and became more and more complicated until 500 years. China, Sichuan Xindu Baoguang Temple, Hubei Hanyang Guiyuan Temple, Suzhou Xiyuan Temple and Beijing Biyun Temple all have 500 arhats. These arhat halls have their own merits and are deeply loved by tourists, and their scale is larger than that of Zhu Qian Temple. However, in terms of rich life breath and superb artistic attainments, the world prefers this Luohan Hall, Kunming Zhu Qian Temple, which is even known as the pearl in the treasure house of oriental sculpture.

When you enter Luohan Hall, your first impression is that these arhats are varied and interesting. There are various postures and expressions, and the expressions and postures are different. According to age, personality and environment, decorations are different. So that 500 arhats are all wonderful, and none of them are the same. Although the five hundred arhats are varied, they can be divided into two kinds in terms of creative techniques. One is to create some strange images by romantic means and through bold imagination and exaggeration. For example, Lohan, who has been holding the moon for nine days, has hands several times longer than his body, looks focused and is using his magic weapon to hook the bright moon; Lohan, who crossed the sea with long legs, stepped forward step by step in the stormy waves, and the water depth was only knee-deep. A venerable man's eyes were wide open, as big as a bronze bell, his eyebrows were wrinkled, his facial muscles exploded, and his left hand was half raised, as if he saw an enemy and he was furious. He opened his mouth and shouted, while trying to jump forward. In these artistic images, people's ideals and aspirations to conquer nature and overcome difficulties are condensed, and they are ideal flowers blooming in the real soil. The other is to express the spiritual outlook of human beings through the image of God mainly in a realistic way, which has a strong religious meaning and a strong flavor of life. This kind of works not only account for the vast majority in quantity, but also have distinct personalities and vivid images, and many wonderful works have appeared. For example, in the Sanskrit Pavilion, there is a sitting statue of Lohan, with his bare feet crossed, his left hand holding his chin slightly, and his right hand pulling out his ears. His eyebrows are folded, his eyes are slightly narrowed, his right corner of his mouth is upturned, and the muscles on his right cheekbone are closed, which shows his painful, itchy and comfortable expression incisively and vividly. With a white elephant in one hand and a mord in the other, the venerable man with a long beard seems to have come from far away. His tall figure, generous chest, bright eyes and kind face remind people of countless kind, simple, weather-beaten but still strong mountain farmers. The venerable old man, with a smile on his face, seemed to enlighten relatives and friends affectionately, and his body was full of optimism. It seems that people can really get rid of their troubles when they see him. On the rooftop, there are several statues of Legge's young arhats, most of which are beautifully shaped. One of them has a white and round face, clean and bright eyes, neat and white teeth, slightly exposed teeth and slightly open mouth. If you are talking to someone, put your right hand on your chest, his skin is elastic, his nostrils are breathing and his body temperature is high. It's Lohan, and a pure and lovely young man with a clean face.

In addition to a arhat, the sculptor also designed several groups of interrelated figures. For example, a Lohan wearing a wind towel, a cassock and a big bamboo stick is opening a wide and thick mouth, clutching his fingers and approaching his companions, as if whispering about the vicissitudes of the world; And his companion, holding a musical instrument in his hand, listened attentively, surprised, sympathetic and thoughtful, and all kinds of complicated feelings gathered on one face, which seemed to glimpse his inner tremor. A Lohan with bare sandals, with a toad on his left arm and his right hand pointing at the toad, bent to the right, as if he were opening his mouth to call people to watch; Lohan on his right, his clothes hanging over his arm, holding a small sitting Buddha in his hand, ignoring his back, his expression seems to be very disdainful; On the right, there is a Lohan leaning on crutches, wearing a gray robe and white trousers, wearing cloth socks, leaning on crutches in his left hand, and turning a toad to the left. His right hand is light and his eyes are staring, as if to look carefully. These two Lohan wearing sandals are so interested in toads that people suspect that their life experiences are probably related to the countryside!

In Morning in the Hall of Heroes, the sculptor boldly used the combination of circle and group marching queue when designing group sculptures. These arhats seem to invite each other to a roster for a meeting. They all showed their magical powers and jumped forward on leopards, just like flowing water, causing strong movement. The whole arhat hall has both individual sculptures and group sculptures; There is a linear layout, a circular composition, various forms of interactive use, seeking change in unity, rich and colorful, the overall effect is perfect. The artistic images of these colorful stars are not only similar to those of ordinary people in terms of body proportions, musculoskeletal and costume patterns, but also their emotions, behaviors and actions are like the indifference of the world, that is, the props such as flowers, sticks and 1 whip in their hands are mostly made of nearby mountains, which are simple and natural, with a sense of nature. Sculptors are not only good at grasping external characteristics such as appearance, age and body shape, but also attach great importance to accurately grasping personality and finely depicting inner world. So many images are vivid and vivid. In sculpture, artists should use various techniques such as hollowing out and round carving to fully reflect the relationship between human body, environment and utensils, the overlapping and twisting of clothing and nepotism, and the interpenetration inside and outside, so that the lines are smooth, and the knife cutting is vigorous and neat and exquisite. It is also worth noting that many pigments on the statue are prepared by the sculptor himself, which will not change color for a long time, and the colors are harmonious, fresh and good; The gilding of clothing is pure gold, and the piece is thin and beautiful. It is bonded with plants and ironed freely, and it still shines today. Shows a superb technical level.

The reason why Li Guangxiu's disciples can create such a batch of exquisite statues is inseparable from their rich life accumulation and high artistic accomplishment besides their hard work. It is said that Li Guangxiu is a native of Hezhou, Sichuan (now Hechuan County, Chongqing). He studied poetry in his spare time and later made statues with his peers. In his youth, he showed his talent in shaping Lohan in Baoguang Temple in Xindu, Sichuan, and became a master of clay sculpture in Sichuan. Later, at the request of the abbot of Zhu Qian Temple and the great monk Meng Buddha, he came to Kunming to make a statue. Li Guangxiu's apprentices are not satisfied with their own achievements, but strive for perfection and deliberate pursuit. They themselves come from the bottom of life and have many images of life in their chests. In sculpture, they constantly capture images from life and integrate them into it. It is said that Guangxiu himself often goes to the dark to capture images and blend in with them after dinner every day. It is said that Guangxiu himself often goes to Heilinpu Teahouse for tea after dinner every day. Whenever he sees people with strange looks and typical characteristics, he pays close attention to them and remembers them carefully. Or go to work in the town, meet typical people, observe, and come back to see sketches. Rich accumulation makes his statue handy, realistic, unconventional and full of life interest.

Besides 500 arhats, there are many cultural relics in the Bamboo Temple. There are two peacocks planted in Yuan Dynasty at the entrance of the temple, which are tall and lush. The camellia and magnolia in the temple are fragrant; There are many plaques and couplets in front of Daxiong Hall, among which there are many grand and witty ones, such as: laying mountains and rivers with empty hands without changing color; Chew up and swallow the breath of the innate ancestors in one bite, and let out light in the stomach. Some people describe the life of monks profoundly and uniquely, such as: burning incense and sitting quietly, Moman talking about the old things in Emei, and the new Zen in Hainan, Yunnan; Stay in the hotel and enjoy the cold world and the clear situation in the mountains with * * *. Hanging couplets in front of the two columns: when the bowl returns, it doesn't ring for the bell; After fasting, I went to know that the salt was gone and the charcoal was gone. Li Guang Xiulian: The road is selfless and mysterious; There is a scenic spot in Yuan Xian, just like a Buddhist temple. After the Hall of Great Heroes, there are still many long ago, including the Three Monks Pagoda described by Xu Xiake.