III. Architectural Layout: A Living Specimen of Song Dynasty Construction Methods
The layout of Longxing Temple strictly follows the regulations of the Song Dynasty 'Yingzao Fashi' (Treatise on Architectural Methods). It faces south and is symmetrically arranged along a central axis. From south to north, along the central axis, are the screen wall, stone bridge, Hall of Heavenly Kings, ruins of the Dajue Liushi Hall, Hall of Mani, Ordination Platform, Sutra Revolving Pavilion, Cishi Pavilion, and Dabei Pavilion, forming six courtyards that progress layer by layer with grandeur.
1. Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Mountain Gate
The southernmost part of the temple is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, five bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave hip-gable roof. Inside are enshrined Maitreya Buddha and the Four Heavenly Kings. In front of the hall are a stone bridge and a screen wall, forming the first barrier of the temple.
2. Ruins of the Dajue Liushi Hall
Passing through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, one sees an open platform - the ruins of the Dajue Liushi Hall. This hall was originally the largest Buddhist hall in the temple, nine bays wide and six bays deep, but unfortunately it was destroyed by fire during the Republic of China period, leaving only the platform and column bases, which is lamentable. From the scale of the ruins, one can still imagine the grand scene of 'a thousand monks living together' in the past.
3. Hall of Mani: A Unique Example of Song Dynasty Architecture
The Hall of Mani is the soul of Longxing Temple and one of the oldest and most unique existing Song Dynasty wooden structures in China. It was built in the fourth year of the Huangyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1052 AD), seven bays wide (about 33 meters) and seven bays deep (about 28 meters), with a total area of about 1,400 square meters.
The most astonishing feature of the Hall of Mani is its unique 'cross-shaped' plan. The hall has annexes protruding from all four sides, forming a 'four-sided protrusion' layout, which is unique among existing Song Dynasty buildings. Mr. Liang Sicheng praised it as 'only seen in Song paintings.' The roof is a nine-ridge hip-gable roof, while the four annexes have hip-gable and roll-ridge roofs, creating a varied and flowing silhouette that reflects the Song Dynasty aesthetic of 'naturalness and freshness.'
The five Buddha statues enshrined in the hall (Sakyamuni, Ananda, Kasyapa, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra) are all Ming Dynasty clay sculptures. The most remarkable is the 'Reversed-seated Guanyin' hanging sculpture on the north wall. This Guanyin statue is about 3.4 meters high, wearing a jeweled crown and adorned with necklaces, with her left foot on a lotus, right knee raised, and hands resting on her knees. Her posture is leisurely and free, her face dignified and beautiful, and she is praised by Mr. Lu Xun as the 'Oriental Goddess of Beauty.' Her halo and the surrounding hanging sculptures of landscapes, heavenly beings, and arhats together form a three-dimensional and splendid Buddhist world.
4. Ordination Platform and Sutra Revolving Pavilion
Behind the Hall of Mani is the Ordination Platform, a double-eave, three-eave pavilion-style building where monks received ordination. Inside are enshrined Ming Dynasty bronze double-faced Buddha statues, exquisitely crafted.
On both sides of the Ordination Platform, the Sutra Revolving Pavilion is to the east and the Cishi Pavilion to the west. The two pavilions are similar in form, both two-story pavilions, three bays wide and three bays deep. Inside the Sutra Revolving Pavilion is the most complete existing Song Dynasty revolving sutra cabinet. This is a rotatable sutra cabinet, octagonal in shape, about 7 meters in diameter and 10 meters high. Its structure is exquisite, using complex woodworking techniques such as curved beams and diagonal supports, reflecting the superb wisdom of Song Dynasty craftsmen. The Cishi Pavilion houses a Song Dynasty Maitreya Bodhisattva statue carved from a single piece of wood, about 7.4 meters high. Its massive size and fine carving make it a treasure of Song Dynasty wood carving art.
5. Dabei Pavilion and the Bronze Statue of Guanyin
Passing through the Sutra Revolving Pavilion and the Cishi Pavilion, one arrives at the northernmost and most climactic part of the temple - the Dabei Pavilion. The Dabei Pavilion is the main building of Longxing Temple, first built during the Kaibao era of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is seven bays wide and five bays deep, about 33 meters high, with a three-story, double-eave hip-gable roof. Inside is enshrined the world-famous 'Zhengding Great Bodhisattva' - the thousand-armed, thousand-eyed Guanyin bronze statue.
This bronze Guanyin statue is 21.3 meters tall (about 49 chi in Song Dynasty measurement) and is one of the tallest ancient bronze Buddha statues in the world. The statue stands on a 2.2-meter-high stone Sumeru pedestal and was cast in seven sections, with a total weight of about 100 tons. Its face is dignified and kind, its body plump and well-proportioned. The most amazing feature is that the statue has 42 arms. Except for the two hands clasped in front of the chest, the other 40 arms hold various ritual implements such as the sun, moon, pure vase, mirror, and vajra, with an eye carved in each palm, symbolizing a thousand hands and eyes to save all sentient beings. This giant statue is not only a masterpiece of Buddhist art but also a miracle of ancient Chinese metallurgical casting technology.
