Xi'an Shuilusi Temple: A Millennium of Dialogue Through Clay Sculptures

Shuilusi Temple, nestled in the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains, is an ancient temple from the Six Dynasties period. It was established as a subsidiary temple of the imperial Wuzhensi Temple by Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty and is the birthplace of Pure Land Buddhism. In 581 CE, Yuwen Jingde supervised its construction, while Yang Huizhi created the clay sculptures. At its peak, the temple housed over a thousand monks, and renowned poets like Bai Juyi and Wang Wei left their verses here. The existing "Zhusheng Shuilu Hall" was originally built during the Sui Dynasty and renovated by Prince Zhu Huaibin of Ming Dynasty over five years. More than 3,700 colored clay sculptures are embedded along an 86-meter wall, depicting Buddhist stories, Confucian and Taoist figures, and scenes of daily life. It's acclaimed as the "World's Finest Colored Sequential Wall Sculptures" and "China's Second Dunhuang." In 1996, it became a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit, and in 2024, it gained popularity as a filming location for "Black Myth: Wukong," becoming a "living national treasure" in cultural tourism. 🚗 From City Center: A One-hour Journey Through Time From Xi'an city hotels, take the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway to the Guanzhong Ring Road for a one-hour drive to Puhua Town in Lantian, passing through the layered Qinling Mountains and the shimmering Ba River. 🏯 Zhusheng Shuilu Hall: The Only Open Spectacular Theater ⚠️ Important Notice: As of spring 2025, except for the "Zhusheng Shuilu Hall," other halls (Heavenly Kings Hall, Arhat Hall, etc.) are under renovation and closed. Though only the last courtyard remains accessible, its focused presentation makes it even more impressive! ✅ Central Axis: A Temporal Dialogue of the Three Buddhas Sakyamuni Buddha sits in the center, flanked by Medicine Buddha on the left and Amitabha Buddha on the right. Above, flying apsaras with musical instruments soar in their halos, seemingly echoing Tang Dynasty court music. Most remarkably, behind Buddha are the three religious leaders: Sakyamuni holding a flower, Confucius with a scroll, and Laozi with a staff - their drapery folds concealing the Tang Dynasty's spirit of "Three Teachings in Harmony." ✅ North and South Walls: A Comic-Style Buddhist Epic The north wall depicts the first four scenes of Buddha's life: "Birth-Renunciation-Departure-Enlightenment," while the south wall shows the last four: "Defeating Mara-Teaching-Nirvana-Relics Distribution." The sequential sculptures form a giant picture book. Craftsmen connected scenes with mountains, woods, and pavilions: Prince Siddhartha riding his white horse over the city wall, Demon King Mara brandishing his sword in opposition, five hundred arhats crossing the sea on waves, with even the clothing folds suggesting movement. ✅ Striking Details: Vivid Touches of Time 🌟 Guanyin Bodhisattva's slight smile and tadpole-like mustache (Song-Yuan male bodhisattva!) 🌟 Ten great physicians in the Medicine King Hall with distinct expressions: Sun Simiao frowning with medicine bowl, Hua Tuo focused with surgical knife 🌟 Muscular guardian figures at the eaves, with detailed belly buttons that seem touchable 🌟 A "miniature Chang'an" hidden in the sculptures: pavilions with bells on eaves, bridge waves carved to their third ripple ❌ Renovation Regrets: Temporarily Hidden Beauty ✨ Heavenly Kings Hall: Originally housed Four Heavenly Kings, reportedly saved by military protection during the Cultural Revolution, now only ruins behind barriers ✨ Maitreya Hall: Once housed the Ming Dynasty Budai monk statue, now a stone inscription exhibition room ✨ Side Halls: 13 auxiliary halls originally containing historical steles, now locked, leaving only imagination of Bai Juyi's wall inscriptions 🎮 Black Myth Easter Eggs: Where Game Meets Reality As the only Shaanxi filming location for "Black Myth: Wukong," three famous scenes were recreated: ✔️ Yellow Brow's Lesser Thunder Monastery: Based on the "Thousand Listeners in Tushita Heaven" mural, with Kashyapa's hand gesture matching the game exactly ✔️ Sequential Buddhist Story Sculptures: The "Departure" scene where protagonist "Wukong" trains, with rock textures 1:1 scanned from the north wall ✔️ Three Teachings Statues: The game's "Harmony of Three Teachings" worldview inspired by the temple's Buddha, Confucius, and Laozi statues 🍜 Nearby Attractions: Natural and Cultural Healing ▶️ Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park (10-minute drive) The "back mountain" of Shuilusi Temple, 2-hour hike to the summit overlooking the "lying fish" landscape formed by the Lan River. Spring azaleas and autumn red leaves blanket the mountains, with Tang Dynasty "Filial Son Wangshun" shrine at the peak. ▶️ Wuzhensi Temple Site (5-minute walk) Birthplace of Tang Dynasty Pure Land Buddhism, home to the world's second-largest clay reclining Buddha (18m). Though weathered, its drapery flows like Wu Daozi's brushstrokes. 📍 Address: Hewankou Village, Puhua Town, Lantian County, Xi'an ⏰ Best Time: 9:00-16:00 (afternoon oblique light best shows sculptures' dimension) 🎫 Admission: Free (ID required for ticket, queuing needed on weekends due to visitor limits) 🚗 Transportation: Private car: About CNY 300 round trip from city Bus: New Chang'an-Shuilusi intercity bus (from Weique South subway station, CNY 24/person) Shuilusi Temple is like an ancient sutra, each crack annotated by time. Though most halls are under renovation, the remaining Shuilu Hall is impressive enough - when 3,700 colored sculptures unfold before you, you'll forget it's just a "tourist spot," remembering only the breathing bodhisattvas, blinking arhats, and the millennium of craftsmanship carved into clay.