The head of the Buddha in the north wall of the Tianlongshan Grottoes Cave 8. Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. Luo Zheng/photo
On the evening of February 11, the head of the Buddha in the north wall of the Tianlongshan Grottoes Cave 8, which had been lost overseas for nearly a century, was unveiled at the Spring Festival Gala of China Central Radio and Television.
Zhang Guoli and Hang Kan, professor of the School of Archaeology and Arts of Peking University and dean of the Yungang Research Institute, jointly revealed the news.
After the Spring Festival Gala is over, we can see the returning Buddha's head in Beijing.
February 12 (the first day of the Lunar New Year) to March 14, the Beijing Luxun Museum (Beijing New Culture Movement Memorial Hall) held the "Xiantong Sfu-Fu - The Return of the National Treasures of Tianlongshan Grottoes and Digital Restoration Special Exhibition". The returned Buddha statue in Cave 8 of Tianlongshan Grottoes officially met with domestic audiences.
In addition, some Buddhist documents, statue rubbings, Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist research books, etc. in the collection of the Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum will also be exhibited together.
How did the Buddha's head return to the motherland when the Tianlongshan Grottoes lost?
This is a tortuous process. Among them, a Hangzhou native played a crucial role.
On September 14, 2020, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage discovered that Japan's Tokyo International Auction Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Auction House) plans to auction a "Tang Tianlong Mountain Stone-carved Buddha Head" in Tokyo, which is suspected to be a cultural relic lost in history by the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. After organization of identification and research, it was determined that the stolen Buddha head (in the north wall of Cave 8 of Tianlongshan Grottoes (Hanlongshan Grottoes) was stolen and illegally transported out of the country.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage launched a recourse mechanism and determined the work goal of "stop auctions and strive for a return". On October 15, he wrote to the auction house, requesting the termination of auctions and publicity activities related to the Buddha's head and withdrawal.
On October 16, the auction house actively cooperated and made a decision to withdraw the auction and terminate the relevant publicity.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage contacted Zhang Rong, chairman of the auction house. Zhang Rong is an overseas Chinese living in Japan and from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He encouraged and promoted the return of cultural relics.
On October 31, Zhang Rong negotiated with Japanese cultural relics holders to complete the negotiation and purchase. After full communication by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, he decided to donate the Buddha's head to the Chinese government.
On November 17, our embassy in Japan held a cultural relic handover ceremony. Zhang Rong donated the Buddha's head of Tianlongshan Grottoes he held to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and handed over to the embassy for safekeeping. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage organized the China Cultural Relics Exchange Center, Beijing Luxun Museum and other relevant units to obtain the Japanese Cultural Relics Exit Permit with the full support of our Embassy in Japan and Beijing Customs. At 12:00 on December 12, the Buddha's head was safely transported to Beijing, and handed it into the warehouse on the same day, and the Buddha's head returned to the embrace of the motherland.
On November 17, our embassy in Japan held a cultural relic handover ceremony. Mr. Zhang Rong (left) donated the Buddha's head of Tianlongshan Grottoes to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage for free and handed over to the embassy for safekeeping. The picture shows Yang Yu (center) of the Minister of the Embassy in Japan witnessing the donation documents, and Shi Yongjing (right), the Minister-Counselor, signed a donation document with Zhang Rong. Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
Buddha's first return. Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Wang Zhuoran and Ma Xiaochen, photographed by
On December 14, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage organized experts from the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking University School of Archaeology and Arts, and Tsinghua University School of Fine Arts to conduct physical identification, and arranged for the Chinese Institute of Cultural Heritage to carry out cultural relics testing analysis and health status assessment.
After research, compared with the original image of the Buddha statue in the north wall of Cave 8, which was taken in March 1922 and the original image of the Buddha statue in the north wall of Cave 8, which was taken in October 1923, the shape, facial features, and shape of the Buddha head are highly consistent, especially the mottled marks on the right cheek, extending from under the right eyelid to the right ear, which is completely consistent with the actual object. Some subtle features of the Buddha's head, such as the small spots on the right cheek and the weathered edges on the neck, are also consistent.
According to the historical pictures of the current traces of the cave, after the Buddha's head was stolen, its back and nose wings were all trimmed.
Iwada's "Tianlongshan Grottoes" picture 41 screenshot (left picture), high-definition pictures taken after the first return (right picture Luo Zheng/photo) Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
Outer Village Taijiro's "Tianlongshan Grottoes" album album 35 (Buddha statue in the north niche of Cave 8) (left picture), Current status of the Buddha statue in the north wall of Cave 8 of the Tianlongshan Grottoes (right picture) Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
Buddha head is 33.7 cm long, 30.4 cm wide, 44.5 cm high, and weighs 55.5 kg. The test analysis results of scientific and technological testing show that Foshou stone is mainly composed of quartz and calcite, which conforms to the characteristics of Tianlong Mountain rock mass, has good internal consistency and no significant crack development. Painted traces were found on the top and ears, and it was inferred that the original state of the Buddha statue should be painted. There are organic materials in the nose wings and bridges of the nose, which is inferred that there is repair experience, which is consistent with the condition of the nose wing dressing. During the analysis of the cultural relics, the fluorescence phenomenon was found at the nose and bridge of the Buddha's head, nose, and the bridge of the nose was inferred. It was inferred that there were traces of repair. Photo provided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
After physical identification, scientific and technological testing and comparison with historical photos, experts unanimously believe that the Buddha's head originated from the Buddha statue in the north wall of Cave 8 of Tianlong Mountain, and should have been stolen around 1924. Cave 8 is the only largest cave with a clear digging date (the fourth year of Kaihuang in the Sui Dynasty, 584 AD). The Buddha's head is low and flat, with a round face, a smile, skillful carving technique, delicate expression techniques, distinctive characteristics of the times, and has the distinctive characteristics of the Eastern Dynasties from the late Northern Dynasty to the early Sui Dynasty. It is a precious physical specimen for studying the Tianlongshan Grottoes and even ancient grotto art in my country. It has important historical, artistic and scientific value and is tentatively designated as a national first-class cultural relic.
Exterior view of Tianlongshan Cave 8 The Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum in Taiyuan City provides
Exterior view of Tianlongshan Cave 8 The Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum in Taiyuan City provides
The Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum in Taiyuan City provides
The Tianlongshan Grottoes in Taiyuan Taiyuan is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It was excavated from the late Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is a representative Buddhist grotto in the Central Plains region and plays an important role in the history of the development of grotto sculptures in China.
In the 1920s, driven by the Japanese antique dealer "Shanzhong Chamber of Commerce", the Tianlongshan Grottoes were stolen on a large scale, and more than 240 statues were stolen. Almost all the heads and even the whole body of the statues were stolen abroad. They are now collected in Japanese, European and American museums and private hands. The degree of damage is the most tragic among the Grotto Temple in China.
This time, the return to the Buddha's head is the first Buddhist sculpture lost to the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes that returned to their motherland from Japan in the past century, which is of great significance.
Our country attaches great importance to the protection of grottoes and temples. In November 2020, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Protection and Utilization of Grottoes and Temples", and held a national symposium on the Protection and Archaeology of Grottoes and Temples, further strengthening the protection and utilization of grottoes and temples. Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage have identified the lost cultural relics in important grottoes such as Tianlongshan Grottoes as the main focus of recent cultural relics recovery and return, and actively monitored and coordinated the withdrawal of the auction, which successfully promoted the Buddha's head to return to the motherland. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage will work with relevant parties to implement the international consensus on the return of lost cultural relics to their original locations, and send the Buddha's head back to the Tianlongshan Grottoes under the premise of safety conditions for collection and display at the Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum in Taiyuan City.
How did Buddha's head appear on the Spring Festival Gala?
CCTV invited the State Administration of Cultural Heritage to cooperate in setting up a special session of "National Treasures Go Home" at the 2021 Spring Festival Gala to showcase the fruitful achievements in the recovery and return of lost cultural relics since the founding of New China, and focus on presenting the return of Tianlongshan Grottoes to the Buddha's head and share the joy of reunion with the people of the whole country.
"National Treasure Go Home" special link insists on the safety of cultural relics first. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage coordinates the Palace Museum, Beijing Luxun Museum and exhibition transportation professional units, draws business backbones, forms a working team, accurately formulates cultural relics safety guarantee plans, tailors to display cabinets and tools, strictly standardizes exhibition operations, strictly implements entry and exit management, and strictly determines transportation routes. The leaders of the bureau check on safety details, and strengthens the safety responsibilities of cultural relics safety by person, position and link. The Spring Festival Gala program team of the China Central Radio and Television Station repeatedly considers and adjusts the program arrangement, and sets the stage-specific platform type based on the needs of the safety display of cultural relics to ensure professional operation time and ensures that cultural relics can be safe and statically displayed on the Spring Festival Gala.
Let’s stare at it from all angles—
(I)
In the 584th year of the Sui Dynasty, the statue of the stone Buddha’s head was 47.9 cm high, the 8th Cave of Tianlongshan Grottoes——
(II)
After reading this story of return, let’s learn about the Tianlongshan Grottoes.
Maybe you have never heard of the "Chenlong Tribulation".
Today, most of the caves we see in Tianlong Mountain are mostly damaged statues and ruined cave walls, and we cannot imagine its original appearance. The statues of Tianlong Mountain seen in foreign museums are free from the main body of the cave, and they cannot appreciate their beauty between the cave and the forest and spring landscape.
Tianlongshan Grottoes were first carved in the Eastern Wei period of the Northern Dynasties (534-550). Gao Huan dug the grottoes in Tianlongshan. Gao Huan's son Gao Yang, after the Northern Qi Dynasty, continued to dug the grottoes in Tianlongshan with Jinyang as the other capital. Yang Guang was the King of Jin in the Sui Dynasty and continued to be digging. Li Yuan, father and son started his career in Jinyang and reached their peak in building grottoes.
Tianlongshan Grottoes have been excavated in different periods such as the Northern Qi, Sui and Tang dynasties, forming 25 caves and more than 500 statues. It is called the "Tianlong Mountain Style". It is famous for its skillful carving skills, delicate expression techniques, distinct characteristics of the times, and rich lifestyle. It is a typical example of the gradual localization of Buddhist grottoes in China. It reflects the outstanding achievements of Chinese grotto art from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and occupies an important position in the history of grotto art.
Panoramic view of the East Peak 1922 "Tianlongshan Grottoes" written by Taijiro Waimura
Panoramic view of the West Peak 1922 "Tianlongshan Grottoes" written by Taijiro Waimura
The head of the Tianlongshan Grottoes at this time is basically intact. From Taijiro Waimura and published in 1922, "Tianlongshan Grottoes" written by Taijiro Waimura and published in 1922,
It is regrettable that the Tianlongshan Grottoes are one of the areas where the grotto temples in China have been stolen and damaged by humans. Up to now, more than 160 Tianlongshan Grottoes cultural relics have been known to be lost all over the world.
In 1918, the Japanese Sadashi Kano rediscovered the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes and published the investigation report in Japan's "Guohua" magazine. As soon as this report was released, it caused a sensation in the world, and it also attracted large-scale stolen activities. Hundreds of fine statues of Tianlongshan Grottoes were transported overseas.
In 1948, Tianlong Temple was destroyed by a fire again, and the unmanaged Tianlong Mountain Grottoes suffered more rapid damage from natural disasters. It was not until 1982 that the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes were protected, restored and repaired.
From 1924 to 1925, Chinese and foreign thieves plundered and destroyed the grottoes. The Tianlong Mountain Grottoes, which took four hundred years to be dug, have since become headless grottoes. They are the most severely damaged grottoes in China, and no complete statue can be found.
The Buddha head robbed by Tianlongshan Grottoes
The initiator of the thief and selling style was the Japanese Yamaaka Tachijiro.
According to relevant information from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and Shanxi Evening News, in 1912, Yamaaka Takijiro seized the opportunity that Prince Xiaogong had no source of life and tried to restore the Qing Dynasty regime and urgently needed a large amount of funds, and purchased a large number of collections from Prince Gong's Mansion except calligraphy and painting from Pu Wei. The batch of cultural relics was quickly transported back to Japan for classification and sorted, and divided into three batches, one for auction, one for auction, one for auction, and one for retail at the Shanzhong Chamber of Commerce in antique stores located in Japan and the United States.
Yamaaka Chamber of Commerce hosted by Tadjiro Yamaaka, it is said to be the largest overseas antique cultural relics store before World War II after Lu Qinzhai . As Yamaaka Tashijiro has passed more and more treasures, his desire and covetness for Chinese culture and cultural relics has also deepened.
In June 1924 and October 1926, Yamaaka Tachijiro himself went to the Tianlongshan Grottoes twice. Almost all the famous statues of Tianlongshan Grottoes that were lost overseas around 1927 were stolen and sold by Dingjiro Yamaakaya.
He recorded in detail one of the stolen goods in his diary. More than 40 Buddha heads of the statues in Tianlongshan Grottoes were cut off, packed into boxes, transported to Beijing, and then transported from Beijing to Japan.
Dingjiro, the mountain, led his men to the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes
information, also mentioned that the abbot of the temple at the foot of Tianlong Mountain was a greedy person.Dingjiro, the mountain, used his benefit to induce him, and a large-scale "head cutting" incident began.
Yamaaka Takijiro and Monk Jingliang (center) took a photo
The photos of the theft scene frozen the evidence of Yamaaka Takijiro's crime
In November 1932, the Yamaaka Chamber of Commerce held the "World Ancient Art Exhibition" at the Tokyo Art Association of Japan, and publicly auctioned the Tianlong Mountain Stone Buddhas. Preliminary statistics from
show that there are currently about 150 stone sculptures in Tianlong Mountain scattered everywhere overseas. Only some of the statues can be identified from which cave room in Tianlong Mountain. For example, the collection of 24 Tenlongshan statues (including flying reliefs) under the Fuge Academy of Fine Arts under Harvard University, 19 of which are works in the second and third caves; Kaichiro from Netsu, Tokyo, Japan has 8 early Tenlongshan portraits.
, and there are many fine collections of Tang Caves in Tianlong Mountain. Wiesropo donated two portraits of the King of Cave 17 to the Fog Academy of Fine Arts. The Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia contains two full-body statues of the King of the Early Tang Dynasty. The Nezu Museum in Tokyo, Japan is the collection of the most famous collections of the Tianlongshan Grottoes in the world, with 28 portraits of the Tang Dynasty and relief pieces.
1928, the Shanzhong Chamber of Commerce edited the 45 statues stolen from the book "Tianlong Mountain Stone Buddha". The book covers 16 Buddha statues, 3 Buddha hands and feet, 22 Bodhisattva statues, 1 Arhat statue and 3 Heavenly King Powerful Statue.
Since 2014, Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes Museum has worked together with domestic and foreign academic institutions. It took 6 years to complete three-dimensional scanning and data modeling of 11 major grottoes in nearly 30 museums in 9 countries including the New York Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the Tokyo National Museum, and the National Museum of China, and achieved professional digital restoration of 10 grottoes. On this basis, the International Tour Exhibition on Digital Restoration of Tianlongshan Grottoes was launched.
In July 2019, the Tianlongshan Grottoes Digital Restoration Exhibition was held in Saint-Denis, France. It is the first project of the integration of cultural relics and technology in the list of Chinese culture going global projects.
In September 2019, the "Beauty Becomes a Tianlong - Digital Restoration Exhibition of Tianlong Mountain Grottoes" opened its first domestic exhibition at the Taiyuan Museum. It uses immersive cinemas, phantom imaging, 3D projection, digital caves, VR cave exploration, holographic images, high-definition videos, interactive multimedia experience and other expressions to create an exhibition method in which the audience can highly participate, interact and immerse in experience, and display the original appearance of the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes before they were stolen at wide angles, multi-layers, and close-up.
(Original title: "The National Treasure Buddha debuted on the Spring Festival Gala, and a Hangzhou man played an important role in its return.")
