Reconnecting Histories

Zhihua Temple, like many Buddhist monasteries, housed monks, provided space for ceremonial rites, meditation, and funeral services, and maintained printed copies of Buddhist texts for study and teaching.

The "Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion" seen here occupies the top floor of the largest building in the complex. It contains three large Buddha statues and thousands of miniature Buddha figures.

One of the two aforementioned ceilings was originally mounted above the central Vairocana Buddha, as can be seen in this photo of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pavilion from the 1920s.

The recessed coffered ceilings from Zhihua both consist of a large central dragon, surrounded by eight smaller dragons. Such ceilings were reserved for use in the most important buildings of the era, and were symbolically thought to protect against fire.

Dragons were mythical creatures associated with water and rain in traditional China. In later historical periods, dragons also came to serve as symbols of imperial power—and the dragons here could have represented both concepts.

The ceiling also contains eight sections representing the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism. The panel seen here depicts a heavenly being holding the Wheel of the Law—one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols.

Originally encircling the coffered ceilings, were thirty-two heavenly pavilions, each resting on a bed of clouds and enshrining a miniature seated Buddha.

These pavilions showcase extraordinary attention to detail in their craftsmanship, especially unexpected, as they could not have been seen up close.

In a museum, the ceilings are objects to appreciate for their craftsmanship, aesthetic beauty, or novelty. Paired with explanatory texts or an interactive platform, the public can learn about their original significance as symbols of protection and the exalted place of the Buddha and those who achieved enlightenment.

In recent decades the original Zhihua Temple site has undergone major repairs, and it too is now a museum where visitors can view the architectural and sculptural art.

Its ceilings however still reside half-way around the world, and though questions inevitably arise as to whether they should be returned to the temple, this is not always feasible, nor arguably desirable to attempt to "undo" history in this way.

Technology presents a new kind of opportunity under these circumstances. In 2019, the Center for the Art of East Asia in conjunction with Xi'an Jiaotong University in China were granted permission to conduct detailed 3D scanning of both the ceilings in the US, and the Zhihua Temple spaces, with the aim of digitally re-connecting the pieces of the temple's story.

This digital restoration unites the chapters into a new, shared story—in a virtual space informed and inspired by the temple's six-hundred-year-old legacy.

The restoration also enables exploration and study of the ceilings and temple at a level of detail that was never previously possible by people other than the Ming-era craftsmen who created them.

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the digital restoration presents an opportunity for a new kind of reconciliation—a bridge across cultures, time and place, that might contribute to a connection between the humans touched by the temple's legacy.