ShanxiAheavenforhistorybuffs

　　 AnAvalokitesvaraBodhisattvastatuefeathistorytoexploreancientChinesecultureasitishometoChina,ShuanglinTempleinPingyaocou,somesixkilometerstothesouthwestofthecountyseatofPingyao,isknownas"themuseumofcoloredsculpturesinChina"asithousesmorethan2,000colorfulstatuesandcarvedfigures,,originallycalledZhongduTemple,n571."As571isnotedastheyearofrenovation,wearesurethattheyearofitsfirstconstructionshouldbeearlierthanthat,"saidLiChun,,ShuanglinTemplehadbeendestroyedandreconstructedmanytimesinhistory,withtodayspreservedstructuresbuiltduringtheMing(1368-1644)andQing(1644-1911)dynasties."However,theuniquesellingpointofShuanglinTempleisnotitsancientstructures,"Lisaid."Themostpreciouswealthisthe2,056coloredstatuesandsculpturesfeaturingBuddhistfiguresandlocaldonors,aswellasthedecorativecarvingssurroundingthestatues."AmongalltheBuddhistfigures,themostresearch-worthyarethefourguardiansoftheBuddha."Theguardiansarestatic,butwesensetheirmovementwhenwatchingthemclosely,""The50-centimeter-tallfigurestandslikeabow,withapotentialenergytomoveviolently,"Lisaid."Hispowerfulmusclescanbesensedevenunderthearmor,asthearmorisstiffenedtosuchanextentthatitseemsreadytoburstatanymoment."InadditiontotheBuddhistfigures,therearealso30-plussmallstatuesofdonorswhohadcontributedmoney,laborandcraftsmanshiptothebuildingandrenovatingofthetempleaswellastheBuddhiststatues."Thedonors,withtheirnamesandotherinformationinscribed,weretheordinaryresidentsinneighboringvillages,"ingDynasty,accordingtotheinscriptions."Fromthepointofresearchers,thefiguresofdonorsareevenmoresignificantthantheBuddhistfigures,",forinstance,arevaluablematerialevidenceforresearchonclothingstylesofdifferentperiods,,theuseofcolorsandlinesincreatingthestatues,canalsoofferaframeofreferenceforstudyingChinesesculptureartsinvariousperiods,’(责编：张婷婷、赵芳)。