Shanghai Art Chase- NYU Shanghai

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Bo Hershey

Last week my class went to the Jade Buddha Temple in
Shanghai. This Buddhist institution is the oldest temple in the city.
Orignally built during the Ming Dynasty. Today this structure looks
When visiting the temple one becomes consumed by the grand nature of
each of the temples features. The Buddhist Statues found in various
sections of the temple illustrate the tradition that has be passed on
for centuries. When visiting this temple one gets an understanding of
the history of China. Specifically, this temple illustrates where
Chinese art began. Visting this Buddhist Temple was both enlightening
and educational. The big Buddha statue is a symbol of the Buddhist
traditon. Its imposing position in the temple shows how Buddhist monks
understand the importance of placement and style. In additon,
viewing it one understands that Buddhism in China influenced art in
the region. This is clearly seen in with the fusion of Chinese and
Buddhist architecture. Just like the Buddhist Statues the architecture
has an important role in presenting the Chinese point of view on
Buddhism. Basically, Chinese Art and Buddhism are unique styles of
art. The Shanghai Buddhist Temple shows visitors that Chinese Buddhism
is relevant in a busy Shanghai world.