Japanese scholars said that there are no Tang wood buildings in China. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin found this national treasure in 4 years

The Tang Dynasty is a prosperous age in the hearts of almost every Chinese. However, few people know that for a long time, people did not believe that China still had wooden buildings from the Tang Dynasty. The famous Japanese temples Tangzhaotiji Temple and Todaiji Temple have become representatives of Chinese Tang Dynasty architecture. Japanese architects at the time even said with confidence: "It is impossible to find any wooden temples left in the Tang Dynasty in the entire mainland of China. If you want to see the architecture of the Tang Dynasty, come to Kyoto and Nara." These remarks by Japanese scholars are undoubtedly It was a blow and ridicule to Chinese academic circles, but it was recognized by most scholars at the time. Chinese scholars who want to study China's Tang Dynasty architecture must talk to the Japanese; the oldest Chinese wooden buildings are actually preserved in Japan. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin, who were studying in the United States at the time, could not sleep a wink all night because of this arrogant statement. Starting in 1932, they traveled through 137 counties and cities across the country. They suffered a lot and became sick from overwork. They could not find the real wooden buildings of the Tang Dynasty, but they never gave up. After Japan invaded Northeast China, Liang Sicheng and his wife Lin Huiyin were attracted by the "East Asia Honorable Association". In order to express their stance, they had to abandon their homes and take refuge. They traveled to Tianjin, Qingdao, Wuhan, and later spent their time on the farm in Lizhuang, Sichuan. A very hard life. The harsh environment caused Lin Huiyin to contract pneumonia. Despite the lack of medical treatment, she still persisted in her architectural research. They tried their best to draw maps of ancient buildings within a limited time, find those ancient buildings hidden in the mountains, hidden in small towns, and even hidden in the desert, and archive them to prevent them from being destroyed by the Japanese war. When he was in Chongqing, Liang Sicheng witnessed the Japanese planes arrogantly passing by at low altitude. People's houses were razed to the ground, countless compatriots were killed, and young children cried bitterly next to their mother's body...Liang Sicheng swallowed his tears and pointed to the planes. He cursed angrily: "Anyone who commits injustice will be killed. Sooner or later, I will see Japan being bombed and sunk." It was against this historical background that Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin traveled across thousands of mountains to find a place they didn't even know existed. Where are the ancient buildings. Until one day, when they were studying the "Illustrated Catalog of the Dunhuang Grottoes" by the French sinologist Paul Pelliot, they discovered a "Picture of Mount Wutai". This picture vividly depicts the mountain topography and ancient times centered on Mount Wutai. architecture. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin's eyes lit up when they saw the words "Great Buddha Light Temple" on the picture. This temple that appeared on the Tang Dynasty murals must have been built in the Tang Dynasty, or even earlier. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin did not hesitate at all and immediately made preparations to go to Mount Wutai to find the Great Foguang Temple. It was already 1937, just one month after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. The situation was turbulent and bandits were escaping in the mountains. Liang Sicheng took his wife Lin Huiyin and some students to start preparations. In order to conduct a better inspection, they first went to the Beijing Library, borrowed all the local chronicles they could access, checked them carefully, sorted out all the ancient buildings or temples recorded in them, and then planned the route. Because of the special historical background, Liang Sicheng and his party had to send letters of introduction to county leaders wherever they went. Once these people heard that they were Liang Qichao's sons, they were not allowed to go anywhere far away. If Liang Sicheng insisted on going, police would be dispatched with guns to protect them all the way, and they would have to say hello to local residents and bandits beforehand. The journey was difficult and arduous. Liang Sicheng had some inconveniences in his legs and feet due to injuries in his early years, while Lin Huiyin had always had lung disease. However, the two of them carried their own luggage and never let students help. Student Mo Zongjiang recalled this scientific research journey with the two teachers and lamented that they had always taken care of him like a younger brother. The group had a bumpy journey, including trains, cars, bicycles... and finally even mules. They walked all the way and asked where the Great Buddha Temple was. When they arrived at Dou Village in Wutai County, what they saw at first was a deserted place. Is this building from more than a thousand years ago still there? Everyone felt a little uneasy. Soon Lin Huiyin, who was somewhat farsighted, cheered: "Look!" Sure enough, half of the temple's roof could be seen in the forest in the distance. Everyone almost ran away. The entire Foguang Temple had been painted with vermilion, which was very characteristic of the ancient buildings of the Tang Dynasty. Several students measured it very carefully. They did not dare to say anything more because they were not sure. , for fear of rejoicing in vain. After the students had finished measuring, the sharp-eyed Lin Huiyin told Liang Sicheng that there were some words under the beam. Liang Sicheng took a telescope to confirm, and everyone went to the village to find wood to build a shelf. They brushed the place with the words with water, and the words on the west side of the earth Zhu were displayed. Liang Sicheng immediately sent a photo to the place where he was cleaning, with the words "Master of the Buddha Hall, Xanadu sent offerings, female disciple Ning Gongyu". In the main hall of the temple, there is a statue of Ning Gongyu, which is engraved with: Ning Gongyu, a female disciple in the 11th year of Dazhong in the Tang Dynasty. Who was Ning Gongyu? She was born in Chang'an. She never married. She could be enshrined in a temple, but there is no record in the local county annals or notebook novels. Ning Gongyu was not an ordinary wealthy benefactor, and her style was comparable to that of a prince or general. Some scholars believe that she was Princess Yongfu, the daughter of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Because Foguang Temple is surrounded by Mount Wutai and scattered in deep mountains and old forests, its incense has been neglected and the monks are poor. After several dynasties, there was no money to repair it. But it is such conditions that allow Foguang Temple to be preserved to this day. The buildings, sculptures, murals and inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty preserved in Foguang Temple are of extremely high historical research value and are called the "Four Wonders" of Foguang Temple.

The discovery of Foguang Temple by Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin gave Japanese scholars a fierce counterattack and refreshed the history of modern Chinese ancient architecture. Foguang Temple was called "the first national treasure of Chinese ancient architecture" by Liang Sicheng. (Liang Sicheng hand-drawn the appearance and structure of the main hall of Foguang Temple in Shanxi) But a few years later, Liang Sicheng was in a dilemma again. Japan has committed many injustices. In 1945, as the Pacific War came to an end, the US military carried out large-scale bombings of Japanese cities. Tit for retaliation, Liang Sicheng's curse finally came true. However, after being "very happy", as an architect, he fell into new worries and thoughts. The reason was Tangzhaoti Temple. Tangzhaoti Temple was built during the Tang Dynasty by the famous monk Jianzhen in Yangzhou, China. It almost authentically preserves the characteristics of Chinese Tang Dynasty architecture, and has always been respected by Liang Sicheng because of its good preservation. As a Chinese who has gone through the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, he has seen countless compatriots separated from their families and unable to return home. However, as an architectural scholar, he feels deeply sorry that this ancient Tang Dynasty-style building is about to be destroyed. (Jianzhen's Eastward Journey) During World War II, Liang Sicheng was entrusted by the Kuomintang to mark China's historical monuments on U.S. military maps to avoid war damage to these monuments. At the same time, Liang Sicheng proposed to the United States not to bomb Kyoto and Nara, which are densely populated with ancient buildings. Although the Japanese are hateful, they represent the common heritage of mankind. Liang Sicheng was criticized later because of his suggestions. Some people even used this matter to prove that Liang Sicheng was a traitor, but Liang Sicheng never gave any excuse. As a generation of architectural masters, he has hatred for his country and his family, but he also respects and persists in his profession. "Liang Sicheng saved Tang Zhaoti Temple" has been rumored a lot, and Nara County once erected a bronze statue of Liang Sicheng, but can his suggestions really influence the final decision-making of the US military? (Tōshodaiji Temple Golden Hall) According to historical records, it was the Americans who really removed Nara and Kyoto from the bombing range—Langdon Warner, who taught oriental art at Harvard University, and Henry, the then Secretary of War. Henry Stimson. Langdon was once Liang Sicheng's architecture teacher and one of the scholars Liang Sicheng respected. But what makes the Chinese people familiar with him is not his great achievements in architecture, but that in 1923, he once organized a team to inspect Dunhuang, stripped off more than a dozen fine murals from the Mogao Grottoes, and restored a precious Buddha statue to the Buddha. Sitting like a whole cut away. His brutal trampling of China's precious ancient cultural relics makes every Chinese resentful to this day. These national treasures are now in the Harvard Art Museum. (The Dunhuang Bodhisattva sculpture stolen by Langdon Warner) Langdon is Liang Sicheng’s academic predecessor, but his protection of Nara and Kyoto is definitely not like Liang Sicheng’s reverence and protection of ancient human civilization. What is needed is rich loot, which coincides with the idea of ????the US military. It is hard for us to imagine the pain Liang Sicheng went through when his teacher stole his country's precious cultural relics. Living in that era, whether they were sensitive writers or rational scientists, they had to endure both physical and mental torture. With compassion for human civilization and life, they still maintained their master's feelings amidst the flames of war. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin were both literati and had little impact on the war situation, but they worked hard to maintain the dignity of the Chinese people and the wealth of mankind. The couple stepped through the continuous artillery fire, walked through the thorn bushes in the deep mountains, and stepped across the rivers full of undercurrents... They contributed enough, but their hearts were always filled with desolation and helplessness. Foguang Temple, like a warm light, has given countless spiritual inspirations to confused scholars in the Chinese architectural community. Today, the statue of Ning Gongyu is still intact in Foguang Temple, and the bronze statue of Liang Sicheng is erected in front of the Nara Prefectural Cultural Center. The concept of protecting cultural relics is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. It is no longer a matter for one or two people. Peace has become the most persistent wish of the people of the two countries. This pure and bright mind is nowhere else but in the delusional minds of all sentient beings.

Reference materials: "Chinese Architectural Oral History Library·Volume 1·Rescuing History in Memory", Tongji University Press "Meeting the Tang Dynasty at Foguang Temple", Chinese Heritage "Ru Hui Flying - Starting from Foguang Temple", Huaxia Geography