Ziyi Shao takes us to the reign of the Qianlong Emperor and will show us around the Fan hua lou (Hall of Buddhist Efflorescence), one of the most complex and prominent Buddhist monuments in the Forbidden city
Fan hua lou (Hall of Buddhist Efflorescence) is one of the most complex and prominent Buddhist monuments in the Forbidden city Constructed during the Qianlong period, the two story building contains in sum 732 small bronze statuettes, 54 large statuettes and six mysterious stupas inside the building. Many of the iconographic compositions are rather unusual, and the building is a unique example for the study of the development of Buddhist doxography in the perspective of the Gelugpa school during the 18th century.
In this talk, I will explore how the building is composed and how the iconographic pantheon is related to other Buddhist pantheons like Zhufo pusa shengxiang zan (All the buddhas and bodhisattvas), the Three Hundred Icons, and Yuhuage.
