By SUSAN TRIMBLE

Niche carving details.

LONG ago in the Ming Dynasty, the river Yongding (meaning everlasting, settled and peaceful) was strong and mighty. During spring the river would often flood, killing many people. The constant flooding threatened the development of the country, and so the emperor decided to go to Jietai Temple to pray to the gods to solve this problem. In those times the only bridge across the Yongding River was the Lugou Bridge and so the emperor set out on a pilgrimage to Jietai Temple. He crossed the Lugou Bridge and rested for a night. The full moon came out and drew a silver line from Lugou Bridge all the way to Jietai Temple. The line wove its way around the hills and through the pine forests to Ma'an Mountain. That silver line would be the route that the emperor would follow across the area west of the river and up through the pine forests to Ma'an Mountain. As the emperor slowly made his way the small trees were cleared and a path was prepared to show him the way to the temple. Probably about two or three days passed before the emperor finally reached the temple.

Jietai Temple is on a beautiful mountain covered with sweet smelling trees and plants. Jietai was first built in the Tang Dynasty, 667AD and was called Huiju Temple. During the following dynasties the temple was rebuilt and expanded and finally became one of the Three Grand Temples of China. Long ago the mountainsides teemed with wildlife and birds. Trickling brooks nourished the plants and fed the animals. It was a perfect and natural place for a beautiful temple, tranquil and secluded.

The standing statue.

Over many dynasties the reigning emperor continued to make a pilgrimage to Jietai Temple and make sacrifices to the gods to save the land from flooding. They always took the same path laid out by the silver moon. Eventually the path became one of beautifully smooth stones. Wildflowers perfumed the air and leafy trees provided shade. This special route ran alongside a bubbling stream that quenched the emperor's thirst and washed his weary limbs.

Between Tianshun and Wanli, 1457 to 1620, some monks from another temple nearby were commissioned to carve some grottos into the south facing side of a red stone hill. The stone was excellent for carving and they completed twenty-one niches at various levels. The Buddhas were carved in typical Ming style and so have very solemn and dignified expressions. The bodies are perfectly formed and the clothing and drapery is especially fine.

Some niches on Red Stone Hill.

It would be great to know exactly who was responsible for the excellent sculpture but the bei that is normally erected at such sites and records this information was either removed or destroyed long ago. Few records exist about this grotto site. Tidbits of information have been collected from the odd article, the cultural relics bureau and the local villagers. We could only find eighteen niches and one standing statue. Apparently one niche was removed and is in safekeeping somewhere, one niche broke off the mountainside and was smashed beyond recognition, and one is below ground level. The standing statue is missing its head.

These lovely Buddhist grottos are located in the tiny village called Shih Fo. The village is spread out like gentle arms around the grotto, as if the village was set there to protect the site. We were told that a village family rescued the three broken pieces of the standing statue's head and hid them in their home for over thirty years, finally offering them to the cultural relics bureau for proper protection. According to the villagers, there is a small Ming bridge directly in front of the face of the hill where the grottos are. The bridge allowed the pilgrims to easily cross the bubbling stream to worship the Buddha images carved into the niches. The bridge was built of smooth stones and had minimal decoration. They say it was a very strong bridge and remains intact to this day. It is, however, buried underneath one meter of earth and stone, a result of drought and local engineering.

There was a strange legend related to this small village during the Ming Dynasty under the Emperor Cheng Hua. The following is an excerpt from Juliet Bredon's Peking in the passage written about Jietai Temple.

Photos by Susan Trimble

"The saintly abbot Tao Fu obtained a miraculous power from the Pussa Wei T'o (the warrior-protector of Buddhism). His alms bowl was carried by magic every day from the temple to the Palace where it was filled with precious offerings by Empress Dowager Li, and then returned to its owner. Now one day, when the bowl made its appearance very early in the morning and the Empress was still in bed, Her Majesty jokingly asked it: "Why so early? Is it 500 girls you want now for the 500 monks of the monastery?" At these irreverent words the bowl disappeared and never returned. Fearing the wrath of the Pussa, the Empress inquired from the abbot how she could atone for her sin. Tao Fu answered that there was no way but to carry out her suggestion and send the 500 girls. These were selected accordingly and given lodgings in the little village of Shih Fo, below the temple. Their presence, however, proved to be too much of a temptation for the hermits, all of whom ended by succumbing to their charms. Great was the scandal which resulted from this breach of vows, and the abbot was forced to apply the monastic law in all its severity and condemn the 500 monks and their lady-loves to be burned. The execution is supposed to have actually taken place before innumerable crowds, but, lo! -- scarcely had the flames touched the culprits than an invisible force carried them towards heaven, each one embracing his mate: -- the Pussa had not only forgiven but included the erring monks in the ranks of the Lo Hans. The Five Hundred Lo Hans enshrined in one of the temple courts are supposed to represent these servants of Buddha who were so miraculously saved."

How much is true remains a mystery, but one thing is certain, the grotto site was a final milestone before reaching Jietai Temple. From the grotto site, the temple grounds, the final destination for the pilgrim, was a walk of only a few hours, still alongside a bubbling stream, through an exquisitely carved gateway and finally up the last long climb to Jietai Temple.

(This article could not have been written without the excellent research skills of Yang Ke Qiao, student of 101 Middle School, and the photographic talents of Sascha Schindler, student of the German School, Beijing. Thank you to both of them.)