World Heritage Quanzhou Heritage Site: Laojunyan Statue

Quanzhou has two very great heritage sites because they are each associated with two of the greatest thinkers of ancient China. The first is a large stone statue of Laozi, the founder of Taoism, and the second is a complex of sacrificial buildings for Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. The Laojunyan statue is located at the southern foot of Qingyuan Mountain, 3 kilometers north of Quanzhou City.

The Laojunyan statue is a representative heritage element that embodies the diverse communities of the World Maritime Trade Center. The Laojunyan Statue is a stone statue of Laozi, the founder of Taoism, and is the largest surviving Taoist stone statue in China. This gigantic stone statue is a symbol of the official mainstream ideology of Quanzhou in the Song Dynasty, guaranteed by strong social wealth, reflecting the unique historical lineage of the port of Quanzhou relying on an agricultural empire, and also reflecting the diverse and active cultural characteristics of the world's maritime trade center and the port's prosperous achievements.

Statue of Laojunyan

Status of Confucianism and Taoism in China and the World

The doctrines of Confucianism and Taoism, founded in the 6th century B.C., have shaped the Chinese people's worldview, outlook on life, and social culture, and Taoism and Confucianism, as China's indigenous and official mainstream cultures, have flourished for more than 2,000 years. Confucianism holds the Analects of Confucius as a classic and emphasizes ? rites? and focuses on indoctrination, which is an ethical indoctrination type of humanism. Taoism, with the Tao Te Ching as its classic, emphasizes? Taoism is an ethical indoctrination type of humanism. Taoism is a humanism that emphasizes nature and the restoration of nature. Both constitute the Chinese outlook on life and social culture, and are the most central philosophical system of thought in China.

In the era when ancient Greece produced Plato and Aristotle, and ancient India produced Siddhartha Gautama, China saw the emergence of Laozi, Confucius, and the Hundred Schools of Thought. The reason why these countries are known as the ancient civilizations of the world is inseparable from these far-reaching giants of thought.?

More than a thousand years ago, Laozi was disseminated in East Asian countries, and more than 400 years ago, it was translated into foreign languages and disseminated in Europe, which had a profound impact on the cultural development of China and even East Asia.?

The 10th-13th centuries were a period of maturity for Chinese culture. The Northern Song Dynasty was established, ending the long-term chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, but was threatened and culturally impacted by the northern frontier peoples for more than 300 years in the 10th?13th century, and traditional culture was even more revered by the Song dynasty. Successive emperors of the Song Dynasty, inherited Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, but the policy of fostering Taoism, the construction of a large number of Taoist palaces and temples, the reuse of Taoist priests, editing Taoist books, and a large number of Taoist deities posthumously. Laojunyan statues are produced in the context of the Song government's official emphasis on Taoism.

In the 13th century, the port of Quanzhou developed into China's number one port for foreign trade. The port of Quanzhou became the most important window of China's foreign exchanges, representing the image and symbol of the country, so Taoism and Confucianism, as China's indigenous culture, in the multicultural Quanzhou, is still the mainstream culture, the local local officials on the one hand, respect the high Taoism, presided over the construction of temples and temples (such as carving the statue of Laojunyan), or to participate in the Jiu Ri Mountain pray for the wind, the Fashi Zhenwu Temple to sacrifice the sea. Jiu Ri Mountain Prayer Wind, Fa Shi Zhenwu Temple Sacrifice to the sea, is the Song Dynasty Quanzhou governor and city officials to use the religious activities of Taoism to promote the prosperity of the port of Quanzhou. With the rapid economic and social development of the ancient seaport city of Quanzhou, the culture of Chinese Taoism was also developed and spread to East Asia and the world with the development of maritime commerce and trade.

This rolling mountain is the mother mountain of Quanzhou?

This mountain is the mother mountain of Quanzhou, Qingyuan Mountain, and the statue of Laojunyan is located at the southern foot of the western peak of Qingyuan Mountain, overlooking the city of Quanzhou and the Jinjiang River to the south.

Qingyuan Mountain is distributed in Quanzhou Bay and the northern mountains of the Quanzhou Plain, which stretches southeast to the mouth of the Jinjiang River, and northwest and inland hinterland mountains are connected, like a huge barrier, guarding the city of Quanzhou. The mountainous terrain is undulating and rich in vegetation levels, with an elevation of 498 meters above sea level.

Most of the trees planted along the way are local banyan trees and longan trees. The ancient banyan trees, with their open branches, deep roots and banyan whiskers, symbolize the long history of Taoist culture and its wide spread and far-reaching influence in China and the world.

Statue of Confucius asking Laozi

This is a legend about the gathering of Laozi and Confucius to discuss Taoism. Laozi was 20 years older than Confucius. According to historical records, in the 6th century BC, Confucius asked Laozi about his philosophical ideas, marveled at the depth of his philosophical thinking, and was so inspired that he later became the founder of Confucianism, whose philosophical thinking, along with Taoist thinking founded by Laozi, is known as China's dominant culture, and which still influences our outlook on life, the world, and our way of life.

Laojunyan statue for the natural boulder carving, rare in the world, sitting north to south, sitting majestically, back screen Qingyuan, facing the ancient city, empty mountains and valleys, and nature as one. Like 5.63 meters high, 8.01 meters thick, 6.85 meters wide, posture with a few slightly tilted to sit naturally relaxed, will Laozi? The idea of revering nature is embodied to the fullest extent. The idea is embodied to the fullest.

Statue site selection of mountain forests, natural boulders, sitting relaxed, natural aesthetics, can be found in the "Tao Te Ching" basis. Such as? There are things mixed into? Taoist law of nature? and so on for the Laojun statue selection of a natural boulder in the mountains and forests exist independently, along with its natural and natural carving to provide the aesthetic basis.

Dating

(1) Historical records. According to the 17th century He Qiaoyuan "Min Shu" records: ? Feixianyan is under Mount Luo and Mount Wushan, and there is Beidou Hall under Mount Luo in Song, and Zhenjun Hall under Mount Wushan. Zhu Wengong once traveled to Yan, now said Laojunyan. Zhu Wengong that the famous Southern Song Dynasty rationalist Zhu Xi (1130-1200), indicating that the 12th century before the Old Monarch Rock statue.

(2) archaeological basis. According to the elements of stone building components unearthed around the Laojun Rock: such as boot wedge capitals, boot wedge interactive bucket, nickel curtain Fang remnants, coupon door wedge stone, for the Southern Song Dynasty stone tower in Quanzhou Kaiyuan Temple East and West Pagoda, Six Sheng Pagoda common, and thus indirectly proved that the Laojun Rock statue for the Song Dynasty relics.

Song Dynasty aesthetics corroboration

According to the 19th century, "Quanzhou Prefecture" records: ? The stone statue is made in heaven, and the good people are slightly carved. The statue of Laojunyan embodied the Song Dynasty Taoist philosophy of emphasizing the Tao over the Tao. The statue of Laojunyan embodies the Song Dynasty Taoism, which emphasizes the Tao over the instrument. The statue of Laojunyan embodies the Song Dynasty Taoism, which emphasized Taoism over artifacts. The statue of Laojunyan embodies the Song Dynasty Taoism, which emphasized Taoism over artifacts and meaning over words. The statue of Laojunyan reflects the Song Dynasty Taoism, which emphasizes Taoism over artifacts, and meaning over words. and conforming to nature. And? The Way of Simplicity? The aesthetics of "The Way of Simplicity" is in line with the idea of? The world has great beauty without saying anything. The aesthetics of the world's great beauty is not to speak of.

statue

statue bald, forehead lines clear, two deep eyes, nose high protruding, ears hanging shoulder, beard flying, visible head, forehead, eyes, moustache, beard carving exaggerated without losing its meaning, simplicity highlights the craftsmanship; the old gentleman wearing obeisance robes seated on the ground with a few leaning, clothing folds line simple and clear. Distinct, reflecting the simplicity of the Song Dynasty, elegant style. The carving of the five senses and the clothing pattern is simple, reflecting the The road to simplicity? The aesthetics of the Tao Te Ching, these can be found in the basis of the Tao Te Ching.

"Tao Te Ching" has? The so-called? The most beautiful music, the most beautiful image has reached the realm of integration with nature, embodying? The aesthetic concept of "The Way is Simple". The aesthetics of the world are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Laozi leaning on a few sides for the multi-curved long strip, a few legs for the upper wide under the narrow plate-shaped three-section spread legs, legs and feet for the? The tiger's foot? The legs of the board carving decorated with concave and convex obvious, complex composition of the cloud pattern. Yuan dynasty features highlighted: one is modeling: Yuan dynasty furniture like curved shape. Appeared to spread the leg type modeling, short legs and then into a high few. Yuan people will be popular on the steppe after the short several legs into the use of the Central Plains settled in the use of high several, while still can be disassembled, easy to carry. But many later generations of several or table has become a leg ? A wood even do? The style. Second, the decoration: animal curved legs and feet began to be used in the Yuan Dynasty, commonly known as? Tiger feet? The use of cloud pattern in the decoration of the upper structure of the legs. Grassland peoples, the ever-changing blue sky and white clouds, infinite thoughts, creating a wide range of cloud patterns. Third, the process: the Yuan dynasty furniture on the carving, composition, full, image, vivid, strong knife, giving people a sense of momentum and strength of the beauty of the concave and convex undulation. It can be seen that this stone table is the 12th century before the completion of the statue, configured in the 14th century.?

Cultural Connotation of Laojunyan Statue

The shape of the statue to hide the eyes and cover the ears has a profound meaning, which can be found in the "Tao Te Ching".

The first sentence: ? Colorlessness makes the eyes blind, and five tones make the ears deaf? These insights of Laozi on the issue of aesthetic realm reveal a kind of aesthetic experience beyond the simple perception of art in aesthetic activities, which opens up the pursuit of ancient Chinese aesthetics? Nature? The ancient Chinese aesthetics pursued nature, nature, nature and beauty. true beauty The idea of "naturalness" and "true beauty" is the basis of ancient Chinese aesthetics. The meaning is outside the words.

The second sentence: ? The second sentence: "To the extreme of emptiness, to keep quiet and certainty, all things are made together, I to watch and recover. Explanation:Try to bring the mind to a state of emptiness and silence, and keep this tranquility firmly. All things are growing vigorously, and I thus observe the law of repetition. Lao Tzu particularly emphasized the work of keeping the mind in a state of emptiness and tranquility. He advocated the concept of ruling by doing nothing to liberate, to a certain extent, the shackles of the traditional agrarian ideology of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, which played a positive catalytic role in the exchange of commercial ideas in Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and objectively facilitated the acceptance of commercial behavior and maritime trade in Quanzhou.