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Library>Travel in China>Protected Sites>Class Ⅲ>Contructions

Fahai Temple

The Fahai Temple is situated in Moshikou Village at the south foot of Cuiwei Hill, a place of beautiful scenery in a Beijing suburb.

The Fahai Temple was erected in 1439 with funds raised by the eunuch Li Tong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The large temple was modeled after Cuiwei Hill. Only the mountain gate, main hall and wing rooms remain today. The Fahai Temple is famous for its well-preserved frescos from the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644). Altogether there are seven frescos located on the back wall, north wall and gable walls.

The three frescos on the back wall are portraits of Kwan-yin, Wenshu and Puxian Bodhisattva. The two on the north wall recount the story of the emperor and empress paying courtesy to Buddha with 20 other gods. Altogether there are 36 painted figures, the tallest at about 1.6 meters. The two
frescoes on the gable walls include painted figures of Buddha and flying Apsaras. All of the frescos are considered elaborate works among other pieces from the Ming period. In addition, the temple also houses wooden Buddha statues and well-preserved musical instruments used at the Buddha mass
during the same period.

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Library>Travel in China>Protected Sites>Class Ⅱ>Tombs

Mausoleums of Song Dynasty

The Imperial Mausoleums of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1279) are located at the piedmont of Wangling Mountain on the two banks of the Wuluo River in Gongxian County of Henan Province.

The mausoleum is 15 km long from south to north, and 10 km wide from east to west. Except the Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong who were forayed by the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and died in the northern desert, the other seven emperors of the nine emperors in the Northern Song Dynasty were all
buried here. In the first year (963) of the Qiande reign, the grave of the father of Zhao Kuangyin, who was the first emperor of the Song Dynasty, was moved here. There were seven emperors and eight mausoleums, which are the Yong’an Mausoleum of Emperor Xuanzu, the Yongchang Mausoleum of Emperor
Taizu, the Yongxi Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong, the Yongding Mausoleum of Emperor Zhenzong, the Yongzhao Mausoleum of Emperor Renzong, the Yonghou Mausoleum of Emperor Yingzong, the Yongyu Mausoleum of Emperor Shenzong and the Yongtai Mausoleum of Emperor Zhezong. Empresses and imperial concubines
were buried around each emperor’s mausoleum, amounting to more than 20 people. There were more than 100 people buried with the emperor, and they were maharajas and ministers, including Kou Zhun and Bao Zheng.

In 1918, a Japanese archaeologist investigated these mausoleums, but released a research report with many mistakes. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese archaeologists perambulated the Song Mausoleums many times. They generally found out the distribution and the principle
of the mausoleums. The concept and consciousness of the Song Mausoleums are different from the mausoleums of the Han and Tang Dynasties: the latter either occupy a commanding height or face a water and lean against a mountain , while the former face Songshan Mountain with the Luohe River running
through the back part. The mausoleums are low-lying, which is against the tradition of ancient architecture that the building is heightened step by step, and the principal building is set on the supreme position. This form of architecture has much to do with the doctrine that decides the tomb site
by geomantic omen. The organization and layout of all the mausoleums are basically the same, each covering an area of 120mu(15mu= 1 hectare). The mausoleums are surrounded by walls built of rammed earth. Divine gates are opened in the center of the four walls, and turrets are built in the four
corners. In the center of the mausoleum is the mausoleum stage, which is built with rammed earth, and in the shape of overturned dou (a kind of measuring instrument). On the south of the stage, two statues of palace servants are placed. Both sides of the divine path outside of the southern divine
gate are lined with such stone statues as civilian officials, military generals, soldiers in charge of pack animals, as well as beasts. The model of the stone statues is simple and powerful, bold and unconstraint, reflecting the artistic style of stone carving in the Northern Song Dynasty.

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Library>China ABC>Religion>Christianism in China

The Earliest Christianity Sect in China

Nestorianism, Jingjiao in Chinese, was introduced to China as early as in the 7thcentury. This sect stuck to the respective wholeness of Jesus’ human nature and divine nature, and therefore it was regarded heretic in 431. But the sect enjoyed tremendous popularity in the Persian region and spread
to many regions of Central Asia. In 635, Olopen, the Syrian bishop of the sect, arrived at Chang’an, the capital of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He was warmly welcomed by the Chinese emperor and was invited to live in Chang’an to translate the Bible. Three years later, he was allowed to
propagandize Christianity and received financial support. The emperor at that time built a church for him. From then on, China entered the first Christianity dissemination period that lasted for more than 200 years.

Several emperors after the 7thcentury implemented favorable policies on Nestorianism. Nestorian churches were built nearly in all provinces and there were many Nestorians in China. But the development of Nestorianism in China affected other religions. Buddhism and Taoism frequently attacked
Nestorianism. In 845, Tang Emperor Wuzong decided to take strong measures against Buddhism.And at that time, the Tang government had lost its tolerance to foreign cultures. As a result, Nestorianism and other foreign religions experienced destructive blows. According to a document written in 980,
there was only one Nestorian in China. From then on, Christianity disappeared in China for hundreds of years.

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