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Tiangong Louge in Eastern Pure Land Illustrations You & Zhu

(A) One-rise courtyard type Since the Song dynasty (960‒1279),
What is basically manifested in this type is buildings clusters have seen an increase in the
that the hall body is equipped with two length of axis lines and the number of halls
teahouses, which are connected or combined along the axis, which are also reflected in the
to form a U-shaped courtyard. On this basis, Pure Land illustrations, resulting in a sub-type
certain sub-types are formed by adding of “multiple halls (bodies) and four teahouses
elements, modifying the morphology of combined into a one-rise courtyard.” Taking
elements but not changing this characteristic the Healing Master Sutra illustration [Figure
of one-rise courtyard. 9] of Cave 55 in Dunhuang Mogao Caves as
This type has a clear trail of occurrence an example, three great halls rest side by side
and deduction. One hall body equipped with on the axis, on both flanks of the rear one are
two teahouses is the most fundamental form. wing rooms that join corridors. There are
This “One Hall with two Towers (including pavilion-shaped bell and scripture towers in
gate towers)” configuration is adopted in the corridor and two teahouses on each of the
Maitreya Sutra and the Western Pure Land two spaces of the courtyard.
illustrations not later than the Sui dynasty
(581‒618). Thereafter, one hall body with (B) Two-rise courtyard type
two teahouses are combined to form a U- What’s distinctive in this type is that a closed
shaped courtyard, with a corner tower set up courtyard is added on the back of the one-rise
at the turn. Corner towers are usually in the courtyard to become a two-rise courtyard,
form of pavilions in the Eastern Pure Land which is illustrated with the following two
illustrations. Typical cases include the examples.
Healing Master Sutra illustration on the north Take a look at tiangong louge [Figure 3] of
wall of Cave 231 in Mogao Caves [Figure 4]. the Healing Master Sutra illustration on the
Let us see several sub-types of this type. east wall of Cave 148, Dunhuang, which
In the Healing Master Sutra illustration consists of front and rear courtyards. There is
of Cave 400 [Figure 10] in Dunhuang Mogao a large hall on the forward central axis with
Caves, the main part is configured with one teahouses on its two flanks and a corridor on
hall body and two teahouses, with corridors its back to form a U-shaped courtyard, the
behind the hall. Pavilion-shaped corner foresaid type of one-rise courtyard. In the
towers are moved inward along the corridor, two-rise courtyard behind it, a hall body rests
or used in bell and scripture towers. This cave on the central axis, with two teahouses on
is chiseled in the Xixia dynasty (1038‒1227) each of the two flanks. There is a round
and at that time, corner towers in the temple pavilion-shaped corner tower at the turn of the
were phased out and the use of pavilions, enclosed corridor.
terraces, towers, and pagodas in admiration Then take a look at tiangong louge in the
became more ubiquitous. The Sutra Healing Master Sutra illustration [Figure 7] of
illustration sensitively reflects this change. Cave 85 in Dunhuang Mogao Caves, which is
In the mid-Tang dynasty, the Healing comprised of front and rear two-rise
Master Sutra illustrations of Cave 112 and courtyards.
Cave 231 in Mogao Caves were basically the
same, but the pictures show the rear corridor 3.2 Closed foreground type
stretches to the left and the right, which Its foreground is made into a closed shape
indicates there are courtyards on both sides. through encompassment with Sanmen and a
Viewed from the clear and complete image in corridor [Figure 8]. This pattern possibly is a
the Sutra illustration, both are basically the product of adornment and idealization based
same and still comply with the definition of on Buddhist temples. Closed foreground-type
one-rise courtyard. For simplicity, it is tiangong louge can also be further classified.
possible to regard it as the sub-type of this
type.

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