Where statues sway in the wind
Xiaoxitian Temple's suspended sculptures come alive in a landmark Beijing exhibition blending ancient artistry with technology, Wang Kaihao reports.
This archive also enables visitors to wear VR glasses for an immersive experience of the temple, clearly seeing into the dark and inaccessible corners of the original site in the virtual world.
Sculptures are not the only items on display. The exhibition also features selected volumes from Yongle Beizang, or "Yongle Northern Canon", from the collection of Xiaoxitian.
As an officially commissioned Buddhist canon from the Ming Dynasty, its calligraphy, engraving, and binding reflect the artistic characteristics of the Ming royal court and are important artifacts for studying the history of ancient Chinese book printing, according to Wei Chong, deputy director of the National Library of China.
Xiaoxitian's collection of Yongle Beizang was originally bestowed upon another temple in Xixian county in 1598 and was later housed in the Banyun Pavilion at Xiaoxitian. Currently, there are 673 cases containing 6,737 volumes in excellent condition.
"With high-quality paper and ink, as well as meticulous proofreading, this edition in Xiaoxitian, although not a complete set, is a rarely seen, precious relic of China," Wei says.
The name of the exhibition, Awaken the Future, also comes from this canon. In its original context, it means "to see into the future". But this title means more than its original context found in Zen.
"So is our protection of cultural relics," curator An explains. "Our work today will benefit the future we haven't seen."
