Fangshan Stone Sutras share the stories of Yunju Temple with the world. To preserve and promote the rich traditional Chinese culture embodied in the Fangshan Stone Sutras, and spread the stories of Yunju Temple, it is essential to delve deeply into the unique historical heritage of Yunju Temple and bring the precious cultural relics back to life. On July 26, 2024, ‘The Miracle of Chinese Culture - Historical and Cultural Exhibition of Yunju Temple in Fangshan, Beijing’ was held at Hall 1, Menara KEN TTDI (Level M) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It offered the local community a cultural feast spanning over 1,400 years of history.
Centering on the millennium-long history of sutra inscription at Yunju Temple, the exhibition is divided into four parts: Cloud Dwelling in Spring and Autumn, Monumental Sutra Inscriptions, Wonders and Treasures of Nature, and Exceptional Figures Bringing Glory. Through a variety of forms, including cultural relics rubbings, real images and texts, and photographic works, the exhibition showcases Yunju Temple’s millennium-long history, the cultural significance of its most iconic cultural relics, and the stories behind their preservation. This allows visitors to fully appreciate the enduring cultural heritage of the Fangshan Stone Sutras and the profound history of Yunju Temple, initiating a unique dialogue between the past and the present.
At the same time, the exhibition integrates modern technologies like VR, enabling visitors to embark on a virtual tour to Yunju Temple with VR glasses. Visitors can also have hands-on experience of traditional woodblock printing. Such innovative fusion of history and modernity caters to the cultural needs of people of all ages and backgrounds.
The Fangshan Stone Sutras were first inscribed during the Daye Period of the Sui Dynasty and continued through six dynasties including Sui, Tang, Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Ming. This monumental project with 1,122 Buddhist sutras, 3,572 volumes, and 14,278 blocks, totaling 35 million characters, created the world’s largest and oldest stone inscription library and a significant cultural miracle in the history of both Chinese and global civilization. It is a precious, irreplaceable cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, with significant historical and cultural value.
