An Age of Restoration
The Yong He Gong Lama Temple, also known as the ‘Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple’, is a temple and monastery of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) School of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in the North-Eastern central part of Beijing.
Yong He Gong was built in the 33rd year during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi (1694). It was built as the residence for his 4th son, Prince Yong Zheng. In 1722, Prince Yong Zheng ascended to the throne and moved to the Forbidden City. However, he still had great affection towards the mansion as he had been living there for 30 years. In his third year of reign, Emperor Yong Zheng upgraded it and named the mansion to Yong He Gong.
In 1735, Emperor Yong Zheng passed away and his body was temporarily kept there. After his passing, Emperor Qian Long ascended to the throne. In his 9th year of reign he followed his mother’s instructions, took into consideration his father’s belief in Buddhism and he rebuilt the major halls into Buddhist ones, transforming it into a Tibetan Buddhist temple!
In the Falun Hall, also known as the Great Hall of Scriptures, sits a grand 6 metre statue of the founder of the Gelugpa school, Lama Tsongkhapa. Below is an article on the restoration of Lama Tsongkhapa in the heart of Beijing, China. Take a look at how they restore the gold painting on the beautiful Lama Tsongkhapa. Very nice restoration of something culturally very important to the Chinese nation.
Tsem Rinpoche
An age of restoration
2012-08-28 08:51 China Daily | Web Editor: Wang Fan
Ancients skills are being lost as beauty of cultural artifacts fades away
Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Tibetan religious leader and founder of the Gelugpa school. The 6-meter-high statue of the Buddha in Falun Hall, at the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing, was built in 1924, at the cost of 20,000 silver coins. Each silver coin would be roughly equal to 40 yuan ($6.30) today. [Photo/China Daily]
Liu Yuming, 77, is on the road again, traveling to one of the many Buddhist temples in northern China. One of the few restoration masters in the country, Liu is visiting the temple to help preserve its cultural relics.
He has restored hundreds of cultural artifacts, and worked on pieces in important heritage sites, such as the Summer Palace and the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing.
“When the master Lama in the Yonghegong Lama Temple wanted to repair its famous Buddha statues more than 10 years ago, I was the only one willing to work on them. No one else wanted to work on such valuable artifacts,” Liu said.
It is not only the statues in temples that are in need of care and attention. Half of the nation’s 30 million museum items are damaged or their condition is deteriorating, according to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Yet despite the huge number of cultural relics that need restoration work, there are few qualified restorers and conservation technicians available.
Lack of talent
“Many countries with a rich legacy of cultural relics are already engaging in preventive conservation, but we are still struggling with rescue conservation,” said He Haiping, deputy director of restoration and repairing at the Capital Museum in Beijing, “Even though we have made great progress there is still a long way to go.”
Restoration only receives about 5 percent of the operating expenses of a museum and nearly half of museums across the country do not have a crew of professional full-time restoration technicians, according to Song Xinchao, vice-director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Before 2000, the Capital Museum had only four restoration technicians. Today, there are 40. Nationwide there are around 2,000 at 3,415 museums, both private and public, according to the administration.
But among the 2,000 technicians only 300 or 500 can actually do restoration and conservation work, said Zhan Changfa, the director of the restoration and training center at the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage. “There are not that many in the frontline of the profession.”
The central government has said it will invest 12 billion yuan ($1.89 billion) on restoring and conserving the nation’s cultural relics in 2012, according to Zhan. “But even if the government has the will to spend the money, few museums or cultural organizations can do restoration projects, because there is a lack of people that are capable of doing the work.”
Few young people choose restoration work as a profession as it is not a glamorous or high profile career. Restoring a cultural relic attracts less attention than publishing a research paper, said Zhan.
“It’s not very often that young people choose restoration work as their first job, never mind as a lifelong career. Every year, about one-third of graduates from the related departments choose other walks of life.”
For love not money
The smell of old paper and fermented-flour glue floats in the air of the corridor leading to the painting restoration department on the seventh floor of the Capital Museum.
Five or six young people stand in a room smaller than a volleyball court. Lou Pengzhu, senior master and director of painting restoration at the Capital Museum, sits watching them working.
“Personal interest is the most important thing in this profession,” she said. “Young talent with high degrees don’t want to do jobs like this,”
Although some young people have great potential there are not enough funds to recruit them officially, which means they can only earn a little more than 1,000 yuan a month as “unofficial employees”, according to Lou.
“All of her 14 fellow students intend to work in either private museums or specialist workshops offering restoration services. Restoration work consumes a great deal of time and energy,” said Zhang Zhaoxin, an intern at the Capital Museum.
“There are many areas that need to be studied, such as chemistry and the usage of materials. But I do it because I love the work.”
Modern conservation
Liu Yuming recalled how delicate and detailed the repair work used to be and the skills of the older generation of craftsmen.
“Now some of our skills seem to have fallen behind other regions,” he said.
Traditionally, the skills would have been passed on from the master to the disciple, and for the disciple to become a master craftsman in turn would have required years of experience.
Today’s restoration technicians have the help of machines so they don’t have to learn through the techniques and skills to the same extent.
“Machines can do better job in grinding the gold foil into even finer gold powder which can make the gold mud glow really beautiful,” said Liu.
Restoration work is even becoming high-tech. The Capital Museum, for example, has started employing nanotechnology in a bid to make the restorations last longer.
“But there is still a gap between high technology development and pragmatic use,” said Ma Yan, a member of the museum’s painting restoration department.
Images on the process of restoration
Source: http://www.ecns.cn/2012/08-28/23639.shtml
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Beautiful Yonghe Temple in Beijing, China known to some locals as the‘Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple’ has three world-record masterpieces. This temple is a temple and monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism built during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi (1694). Very impressive buildings and a great insight into Chinese Buddhist temples with 300 years of history . The building and artwork of the temple is a combination of Han Chinese and Tibetan styles.
Looking at the restoration and conservation work of the Lama Tsongkhapa Statue in Yong He Gong is not easy after all. Thanks to Liu Yuming,77, restoration masters of China’s Cultural Relics. He had done a good job helping to preserve those rare cultural relics left in China. It is indeed a uphill task that needs a lot of patience , skill, delicate , and love . Interesting read even though it an old post. Would love to see this master piece of Lama Tsongkhapa Statue one day .
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing
This is truly amazing! To see refined and delication in the rescue conservation work on Lama Tsongkhapa statue in Yong He Gong (Lama Tsongkhapa temple in Beijing). Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, the restoration work can rely on nanotechnology to give a finer finishing, even though there is still gap between technology and pragmatic usage. Thank you for this insightful sharing.
Yonghegong temple is not on the imperial temple but was an imperial palace to the grandson of Emperor Kangxi. It is no wonder that it houses such precious artifacts. It must also be the influence of Changkya Rolpe Chang, the previous incarnation line of Pabongka Rinpoche that it became a Buddhist temple in the Tibetan Gelug school tradition.
THe Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong had close ties with Changkya Rolpe Chang. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/changkya-rolpe-dorje.html
It is heartening to know that this beautiful temple with it’s precious works will be restored and preserved for future generations to come. History is history and we cannot deny that at a certain point in time, Tibet and China were close allies.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing on the huge Lama Tsongkhapa temple! It’s really huge.To restored a statue is not an easy task. It needs a lot of skill, passion and patient. Took a lot of afford to do it too. The Yonghe Gong’a Lama Tsongkhapa was so nicely restored, very fine and no wrinkled seen. So blessed to see this Lama Tsongkhapa statue._/\_
To restored a statue is not an easy task. It needs a lot of skill, passion and patient. Took a lot of afford to do it too. The Yonghe Gong’a Lama Tsongkhapa was so nicely restored, very fine and no wrinkled seen.
The technic of restored an statue is fully on workmanship. Although, as per the article said that there is machine to do so.
To offer Gold to Buddha’s statue create tremendous merit. For the people who look at the Buddha, they too get the great blessing as the beauty of the Buddha could imprint their mind.
I have opportunity to visit Lama Tsongkhapa at Yonghe Gong. It is so beautiful to look at and it make me feel the joy by looking at the beautiful Lama Tsongkhapa. I felt it is a real person sitting there.
I’ve read before about other historic monuments in other countries that were not treated with as much care, and so they later fell apart. I’ve also read about how using natural materials, especially for minerals for colouring and paints, results in a much more vivid and vibrant pigmentation. In this case, the level of detail in ensuring that the restoration works are historically accurate and authentic is incredible. In China’s recent history, many of these places were destroyed due to the few who did not know how to appreciate their country’s rich history and culture. So there is reason to rejoice in the level of investment the Chinese leadership now puts into restoring Tibetan temples and monasteries. In some cases, I’ve read that up to US$60mil has been earmarked for the restoration of particular monastic institutions. This is far more than the Tibetan leadership can ever hope to raise.
Knowing this, it would be more logical for the Tibetan leadership to applaud and encourage the Chinese leadership towards increasing the level of investment that they direct towards preserving Tibetan Buddhist monastic institutions, and pilgrimage and historic sites. After all, isn’t that what the Tibetan leadership tries to do with their Tibet Houses around the world? Well, if someone else is going to do the work AND pay for it (especially at a level you will never be able to accomplish yourself), why not encourage them to continue doing so?
By the way, Yong He Gong Temple was built by one of Rinpoche’s previous incarnations as the Emperor Kangxi who was known for his great Dharma deeds throughout China, Tibet and Mongolia. He is remembered as one of the most benevolent emperors whose reign saw strides in technology, scholarship, learning and progress throughout the kingdom. You can read more about it here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/art-architecture/emperor-kangxi-%E5%BA%B7%E7%86%99%E7%9A%87%E5%B8%9D.html
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing.
It is glad to see that Chinese Government had put in effort to restore the Lama Tsongkhapa Statue in Yong He Gong.
In fact, many country also facing the same problem in restoring the artifact, including Malaysia.
I hope that the cultural and religious artifact will be preserve well so that the next generation still have chance to see the original artwork.
Thank you for the sharing on the huge Lama Tsongkhapa temple! It’s really huge, i believe many will benefited from such huge in Beijing. That was also a massive gold foil used for the restoration.
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing this article. This is very beautiful statue of Lama Tsongkhapa, I really love it. I also invited one small Lama Tsongkhapa statue home, I worship to it everyday. I found peace by chanting Yoga Guru. Thank You Rinpoche.
Talented statue restoration master is hard to find now. Wish we can nurture and train more talented Master from Kechara in future:).
Lama Tsongkhapa’s practice was a secret and tremendously powerful practice which was why it wasn’t made readily available to the Chinese public. Nevertheless it is inspiring to know that the Chinese wants to preserve Buddhist Treasures.
Liu Yuming,77, one of the few restoration masters of China’s Cultural Relics, helps preserved and provide restoration works to the hunreds of cultural artifacts, which no one else wanted to work on such valuable artifacts. Liu was also given the task to work on Yongegong Lama Temple’s famous statues more than 10 years ago. According to the state administration of cultural heritage, half of the nation’s 30 million museum items in China are in a damaged and deterioting condition and needed rstoration works, but there are a few qualified restorers and conservation technicians available. Natonwide, amongst the availability of the 2,000 technicians only 300 to 500 can actually do the restoration and conservation works. China indeed is facing a Delima! Today, restoration work has become high-tech,where “Nanotechnology” is introduced to make the restoration lasts longer. Yet, there are only a few qualified restorers and conservationists available and the problem still remained unsolved.
I never knew the process of how statues were actually made. I have always wondered about how the statues were able to glow so bright with gold. This is a really interesting article on how the process of restoring a statues face with gold foil. So much time, effort and love is put into grinding and mixing the gold foil and finally eventually rubbed into the face. But all that effort creates such a beautful effect. Its nice to see some people with the love and passion to do this kind of work.
Restoration is such a difficult job, it is not easy and it definitely does require a lot of love and passion for the job. The state of China’s National Relics is in serious need of restoration, even though all the money that can be spent in the world, but without people like Liu Yuming, work cannot be done. I have a new found respect for people like Liu Yuming. They really are the true artist.
Thank you Rinpoche sharing the restoration of statue Lama Tsongkhapa. To be completed restoration of a statue , need professional skill, time, patient and most important is love this job. May Liu Yuming always bless by Lama Tsongkhapa ,healthy and training more peoples to preserve his tradition skill.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for sharing this informative and educational article. It is so heartening to see Lama Tsongkhapa restored to its former glory. So much effort and time is put into this restoration and it’s good to know that there are a few young people who have the passion for this type of job. Hopefully the skills could be preserved by training more people.
May the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa spreads in all directions!
Thanks Rinpoche. I had learned the process of delicate gold painted face for statue in Tibetan Buddhism. And happy to learn about the restoration work to preserve the tradition and culture. Thx.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful Tsongkhapa for us.
May Liu Yuming always bless by 3 jewels, good health and good fortune…
May peoples all around the world make Liu Yuming as a good example and do as much as we can…
This process takes a long time but the effect is beautiful. The gold paint is very fine and smooth on the statue’s face. It shines beautifully. This is much better than applying the gold leaf directly on a statue, a practice which is popular in some countries. This procedure is very specialised and the art should be preserved by training more people.
Yes, I agree with Mr Liu with the current state of China’s national treasures. The last time I went to the Forbidden City, I was quite shock at how dilapidated the wooden structures look. The restoration work didn’t seem to be able to restore the brilliance and refinement of the ancient artwork. I know this because of having seen hundreds of pictures of the Forbidden City.
This was of course more than 10 years ago. Things may be different now but I understand the situation they are going through. Chinese as a whole are generally more interested in more glamorous careers. I think what can be done is to increase budget and hire foreigners and that might make the work more glamorous. You know if the foreigners would do it, so would the Chinese.
I like the fact that the country is looking at the Buddhist places like these as cultural relics and a part of Chinese long standing acceptance of Buddhism. This would play a great part later when there’s a bigger revival of interest in Buddhism that would be sparked off by the great and charismatic lamas like Panchen Lama and so forth.
Thank you Rinpoche for us the knowledge about the process of restoration. Ancient peoples are knowledgeable because after finishing reading this article we may know that what is the reason that makes Lama Tsongkhapa golden face so beautiful and shiny.They are full of wisdom even though at that time Scientific and technological underdevelopment.
Thank you Rinpoche for this detailed article on how Lama Tsongkhapa statue is reinstated to its former glory. From here we can see how much passion and effort is put into an object of veneration. It also shows us how influential Je Rinpoche’s teachings were in China.
I found this video of how the Lama Tsongkhapa statue is reinstated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUe6XsfvD-E
there are three parts so do watch it 😀
Thanks, JJ for the video link
Thank you Rinpoche. This article on restoration of ancient statues and temples is truly enlightening. So much skill involved, so much painstaking effort.But just imagining the tremendous amount of merits collected by these restorers is in itself mind-boggling.
It is heartening to note that China is embarked on the restoration of these ancient statues, temples and even monasteries.
The restoration of the 6 meter Lama Tsongkapa statue in Yong He Gong is to me a harbinger of a great revival of interest in the lineage of Je Tsongkapa’s teachings. Let us hope and pray that it really happens: that there is a surge of interest that will bring about a new renaissance of Buddhism in China,following the lineage of Je Tsongkapa.
It is heartening to see this large statue of Lama Tsongkhapa in the renowned Yong He Gung temple in Beijing, China. Despite China’s anti-religious stance during the Cultural Revolution, it is fortunate that no harm came to this statue during the zealous anti-religious cleansing activities then. It is also good that in this day and age, China is encouraging the restoration of Buddhist statues. In fact, the largest outdoor standing bronze Buddha statue in the world is 48m tall and was completed in Jiangxi, China, on March 3rd, 2013. (http://en.gmw.cn/2013-03/04/content_6883459_2.htm)
This article was also educational in that i never knew the process for applying gold to a statue. I hope that more young people in China will take apprenticeship of the restoration of arts in future. While it is not a glamorous job, it is a fulfilling one. However, i think it will only appeal to those who have the passion for it. As it is not monetarily rewarding, it is a sad reality that fewer young people will seek it as a career in our materialistic society. Perhaps some wealthy philanthropists in China who believe strongly in art restoration and preservation will provide some financial incentives for more artisans to manifest.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.The restored statue of Tsongkhapa is in deed beautiful.The process of restoration is really skilled and only a few could perform the task.May there be more people like Liu Yuming who understand the importance of religious and cultural preservation over personal gains.
Liu Yuming is compassionate and generous.May he be bless with long life to preserve those artifact for the future generation to cherish and respect.