Zhihua Temple

The digital restoration of Zhihua Temple, a 15th-century Buddhist monastery in Beijing, is a collaborative project led by the University of Chicago Center for the Art of East Asia, together with Xi'an Jiaotong University, Beijing Zhihua Temple, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Tsinghua University. Although the temple still stands today, two large carved wooden ceilings and other components were removed and sold in the early 20th century. These works are now on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The project began with conferences in 2017 and 2019 focused on research, digital preservation, and restoration. From 2019-2020, with support from the Cyrus Tang Foundation and the invaluable help of each partnering institution, the group captured high-resolution 3D scans of the two ceilings in the U.S. and interiors of two structures in Beijing. Using this data and art historical research, we produced digital reconstructions of Zhihua Hall and the Wanfo Pavilion. This project offers an opportunity for interested viewers to learn, observe, and appreciate the history, music, art, and architecture of the Ming dynasty temple, and in the process, to reconsider the significance of traditional Chinese artistic and cultural heritage.