Of Palaces and Pagodas: Palatial Symbolism in the Buddhist Architecture of Early Medieval China
https://architecturasinica.org/bibl/4767JG7HPreferred Citation
Miller, Tracy. “Of Palaces and Pagodas: Palatial Symbolism in the Buddhist Architecture of Early Medieval China.” Frontiers of History in China 10, no. 2 (2015): 222–63. https://doi.org/10.3868/s020-004-015-0014-1.View at:
Abstract
This paper is an inquiry into possible motivations for representing timber-frame architecture in the Buddhist context. By comparing the architectural language of early Buddhist narrative panels and cave temples rendered in stone, I suggest that architectural representation was employed in both masonry and timber to create symbolically charged worship spaces. The replication and multiplication of palace forms on cave walls, in “pagodas” (futu 浮圖, fotu 佛圖, or ta 塔), and as the crowning element of free-standing pillars reflect a common desire to express and harness divine power, a desire that resulted in a wide variety of mountainous monuments in China. Finally, I provide evidence to suggest that the towering Buddhist monuments of early medieval China are linked morphologically and symbolically to the towering temples of South Asia through the use of both palace forms and sacred maṇḍalas as a means to express the divine power and expansive presence of the Buddha.
Additional Citation Information
Article
Title: Of Palaces and Pagodas: Palatial Symbolism in the Buddhist Architecture of Early Medieval China
Author:
URI: https://architecturasinica.org/bibl/4767JG7H
URI: https://www.zotero.org/groups/architecturasinica/items/4767JG7H 
Publication
Title: Frontiers of History in China
Language: English
Volume: 10
Date of Publication: 2015
Pages: 222-263