Chūsonji Konjikidō: konryū 900-nen tokubetsuten = The Golden Hall of Chūson-ji Temple : celebrating the 900th anniversary of its construction : special exhibition

Abstract

"The special exhibition The Golden Hall of Chūson-ji Temple is being held this year to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the hall's construction. The Golden Hall was commissioned by the founder of the Ōshū Fujiwara dynasty, Fujiwara no Kiyohira (1056-1128), and is a designated National Treasure. As the oldest extant building in northeastern Japan, the hall is an enduring testament to the prosperity of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan. It was built in 1124 after a prolonged period of war. Kiyohira longed for peace, and the Golden Hall embodied his vision of the Pure Land of the buddha Amida found in Buddhist teachings. Its gold-leafed interior and exterior and ornate lacquer adornments in maki-e and mother-of-pearl inlay are befitting expressions of the radiant paradise it was meant to manifest. Of the three altars contained in the Golden Hall, the central altar houses Kiyohira's remains and serves as his final resting place. Eleven Buddhist statues are enshrined on it, all of which are National Treasures. This exhibition features all eleven statues and is the first time they are being shown outside the temple grounds. An additional exhibition highlight is a full-scale digital recreation of the Golden Hall in ultra-high-definition 8K. The powerful images capture the grandeur of Hiraizumi's cultural heritage and offer an immersive look at the sacred spaces of Chūson-ji Temple that have inspired prayer devotion for nine centuries"-- Foreword (page ii).