688 CHINESE ARCHITECTURE. 



hsiiing pao tieii, ttie '' jeweled palace of the great hero "' — that is to 

 say, Sakyaniuiii, the historical Buddha. He is always the central 

 figure of the imposing triad enthroned upon lotus pedestals inside; 

 the tAvo others are usually Ananda and Kasyapa, his two favorite 

 disciples. Along the side walls are ranged life-size figures of the 

 eighteen Arhans (Lohan), with their varied attributes, disciples who 

 have attained the stage of emancipation from rebirth. Behind the 

 principal court there is often another secluded courtyard sacred to 

 Kuan Yin,. the "goddess of mercy,'"' where Chinese ladies throng to 

 offer petitions and make votive offerings. Avalokitesvara (Kuan 

 Yin) is installed here in the central hall, often supported by two 

 other Bodhisattvas, Manjusri (Wen-shu), the "god of wisdom," and 

 Samantabhadra (Pu-hsien), the " all-good." The surrounding walls 

 are usually studded with innumerable small figures of celestial bod- 

 hisats, tier upon tier, molded in gilded bronze or clay, and posed in 

 niches. The wing buildings in this court are devoted to the de- 

 ceased inmates of the monastery, and contain portraits and relics of 

 bygone abbots and monks. The side cloisters are two-storied in the 

 large temples, the treasures of the monastery being stored above, as 

 well as libraries, blocks for printing books, and the like. 



An outer wall encircles the whole, inclosing besides a stretch of the 

 hill slope, which affords ample space for the separate accommodation 

 of the higher dignitaries of the establishment, for kitchens and 

 stables, storehouses of fruit and grain, open pavilions for sipping tea 

 and enjojdng the view, and secluded quarters in terraced villas for 

 the residence of occasional visitors. 



The Buddhist triad displayed in plate xiii was taken from the in- 

 terior of the large hall of the temple called Huang Ssu, which was 

 built by the founder of the reigning Manchu dynasty for the resi- 

 dence of the fifth (jrand Lama of Tibet, when the high dignitary 

 came on a visit to Peking in the year 1647, and to which the stupa 

 shown in plates xiv-xv is attached. This is a lama temple, and 

 the large images of gilded bronze represent Avalokita, jNIanjusri, and 

 Vajrapani, seated upon lotus pedestals, the smaller standing figures 

 Ixiing two attendant bodhisats carrying the alms bowl and chowry 

 brush, Th(> five little images posed in line in front of the pedestal 

 of Avalokita represent the celestial Buddhas, Amitabha and the rest, 

 and an image of Sakyamuni, the earthly reflex of Amitabha. is 

 mounted in front. The nuissive altar tables and the sacrificial uten- 

 sils and ritual symbols placed upon them are all chiseled in marlile. 

 The canopied background of the large figures is carved in wood and 

 gilded, with the aureole encircled by a frieze of elephants, lions, and 

 mythical animals, culminating in coiling dragons, overawed by 

 cherub-like garudas, which brood over the three jewels of the faith, 

 the whole being enveloped in a broad, rolling band of scrolled flames. 



