The Dunhuang Grottoes provide a complete record of the development of Buddhist art in China from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries, through ten Chinese dynasties. People from all over the world are overwhelmed by their colossal scale, their history, the richness and variety of the artistic creations, the consummate skills of the creators, and the high degree of preservation. The art of Dunhuang--which encompasses architecture, sculpture and fresco--is an outstanding union of Buddhist art and Chinese culture.

The Mogao Grottoes, part of the Dunhuang Grottoes, consist of 492 cells and cave sanctuaries. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included them on the World Heritage List in 1987 for their historical value and for the religious, cultural and intellectual influences of their famous statues and wall paintings.

Flying celestial beings ("feitien" in Chinese) are one of the most important features of the cave art of Dunhuang. Originating in India, they were brought to China along with Buddhism and gradually developed a Chinese character of their own.

The feitien are celestials who live in the Pure Land, the Buddhist heaven. They fly in the air without wings, they dance, they sing, and they play musical instruments or scatter flowers to pay tribute to the buddhas. They represent freedom and happiness, and they serve as good omens.

The Still Thoughts Hall

Between the Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University in Hualien (the city in eastern Taiwan where the headquarters of the Tzu Chi Foundation is situated) stands the Still Thoughts Hall, a wordless sermon on the timeless Buddhist spirit and also a large activity center for academic, cultural and charitable events. The construction of this multifunctional building began in 1988 and ended in May this year.

It took approximately seventeen months, from May 1999 to October 2000, to design the 362 bas-relief flying celestial beings on the roof ridges of the Still Thoughts Hall. The feitien cover a total area of about 3,700 square meters (as large as thirteen basketball courts), and they weigh approximately two hundred tons. The feitien are made of cupronickel, an alloy of copper and nickel. Figures carved out of juniper wood and white jade are also displayed inside the Still Thoughts Hall.

The beginning

Three years after the main body of the Still Thoughts Hall was completed, there were still unfinished rigid steel frames on the roof. Many people thought that maybe some sort of structure would be added to them, while others believed that the roof was designed that way.

Actually, Master Cheng Yen, president and founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation, had the idea to decorate the ridges, eaves and vergeboards of the hall with bas-reliefs. These sculptures had to be made of a long-lasting material and had to embellish the Still Thoughts Hall in a dignified manner, so that the hall could become a beautiful, artistic spiritual home for all Tzu Chi people. The rigid steel frames were intended from the beginning for the installation of these bas-relief sculptures.

However, even after the Master had studied many types of materials and designs, including stone and titanium carving, for five years, no decisions were made due to problems with design, weight and prices.

In the spring of 1999, after visiting an exhibition of Buddhist stone carvings held in the Hualien Cultural Center, Master Cheng Yen met with Jeff Hsu, president of Jeff Hsu Art, and several other artists. Soon afterwards, she appointed Hsu to take charge of the feitien project. Hsu, an avid antique collector, thus became the chief overseer for this artistic project.

Du Yongwei, deputy director of the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts of the Dunhuang Academy in China, has studied the art of Dunhuang for more than twenty years. Hsu met Du on one of his visits to the Dunhuang Grottoes, and naturally Du came to his mind when he first learned of the feitien project. Master Cheng Yen liked Du's style and praised his creative concepts, which integrate the spirits of different cultures. Thus Du became the chief designer of the feitien project.

The aims and creative concept

After several meetings and discussions, the Master pointed out the overall aims for the entire artistic project. The design had to be original and rich in modern spirit, and as a whole reflect Tzu Chi culture. The materials used should be durable and not exceed the weight that the pillars could support. Since Hualien is situated in a seismically active region, special attention and care had to be paid to the installation of the bas-reliefs so that they could stay firm and secure on the roofs.

After repeated experiments, it was decided that the material for the bas-reliefs would be cupronickel. This material, which is used to produce Euro coins, is an alloy of sixteen percent nickel, eighty-three percent copper, and one percent other metals such as lead and tin.

The artistic design of the feitien had to embody several creative concepts. Since these celestial beings are musicians and dancers who live in the Pure Land, they should be surrounded with an aura of happiness and elegance. As they are also the guardians of buddhas and bodhisattvas, they should appear peaceful and joyful. The overall atmosphere should be like that when the Buddha was preaching the Wonderful Lotus Sutra: bodhisattvas and living creatures coming together, feitien flying around, and flowers floating in the air.

Also, since Tzu Chi is an international organization--many foreign friends visit the foundation, and Tzu Chi volunteers also serve in many different nations of the world--these feitien should be designed with a global view. Different races and their characteristics should be included in the design. The figures should also be both old and young, male and female.

Symbolism is an important part of the Tzu Chi culture. Therefore, the Tzu Chi missions (including charity, medicine, education, culture, and international relief) should be illustrated with gestures or even sign language.

The designing process

In the winter of 1998, when Hsu first contacted Du and asked him to design the feitien for the Still Thoughts Hall, Du drew a set of musical feitien based on Sui Dynasty designs from the Dunhuang frescoes. Hsu approved of his approach, but pointed out the lack of modernity in his design. "I thought that maybe by 'modernity,' Hsu meant not to stick to the simplistic Sui style, so I drew another set of feitien with gorgeous costumes and a few other Tang-style figures for him to choose from," said Du. "However, the design still failed to win his approval. I was rather upset then."

What kind of Buddhist organization is Tzu Chi? What do Tzu Chi people do? What is on the mind of the person in charge? These questions flashed through Du's mind. Hsu explained to him that Tzu Chi was an international Buddhist organization and that Tzu Chi people believed in putting the teachings of the Buddha into practice. He then advised Du to draw modern people of different races and professions, not just bodhisattvas and celestial beings.

How to present modern people in feitien images? After hearing what Hsu said, Du began to think: Wouldn't it appear strange if modern people could fly? But then he reflected on the frescoes and sculptures in the Dunhuang Grottoes. The images of buddhas and bodhisattvas always evolved as people's views on beauty changed or as culture, customs, weather and times differed. Didn't the costumes, appearances, and postures of these buddhas and bodhisattvas reflect those of the people of their times?

Innovation has been the creative force of Buddhist art for the past thousand years. Isn't the modernity that Tzu Chi now pursues also a revolutionary attempt? Du suddenly saw the light. He searched for information about different races in the world, and he came up with images of feitien that represented different nationalities by holding various musical instruments and wearing national costumes.

In the spring of 1999, Du and Hsu visited Master Cheng Yen in Hualien and showed her their new designs for the feitien. The Master carefully examined the designs and expressed her opinion: Since we are living in an era of information, Buddhist art should not be limited to types popular in ancient times or in China. It should convey contemporary Buddhist spirit and hence possess a power to enlighten more people.

Hsu took Du for a visit to the Still Thoughts Hall, and the latter was astonished by the building's wonderful combination of modern and ancient architectural styles, an example of the close connection between age-old Buddhist concepts and modern society. Du came to understand that Tzu Chi people not only admire the Great Compassion Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, who helps the needy; they also follow her example in thought and conduct. As Du thought about this, a mature creative concept formed in his mind.

In his designs, Du sought to depict the Tzu Chi spirit of Great Love that transcends all national, racial and religious boundaries. In order to create a new style of modern Buddhist art, he merged the Tzu Chi spirit with that of Dunhuang art, marked by its passion and courage for exploring and accommodating different art forms.

For seventeen months, the members of the design team worked indefatigably. For the first several months, they worked more than fourteen hours per day and sometimes even toiled through the night.

The design

The 362 bas-relief feitien, installed on the triple herringbone vergeboards, the single herringbone vergeboards, and the ridges and eaves of the Still Thoughts Hall, run a total length of 1,360 meters [4,145 ft].

With reference to Dunhuang frescoes and the contents of the Buddhist sutras, the 362 feitien are divided into eight categories. Five of the categories are flower-scattering feitien, musical feitien, dancing feitien, worshipping feitien, and bodhisattva (or compassionate) feitien. The remaining three categories are made up of younger flying celestial beings ("tungtzu-feitien" in Chinese): sign-language tungtzu-feitien, playful tungtzu-feitien (engaged in modern sports, games and education), and musical tungtzu-feitien.

On each set of the herringbone vergeboards, the bas-relief feitien, each with a different posture, are displayed symmetrically. Their postures draw viewers' attention to the Three-Treasure Pearls on top of the vergeboards. Representing the Three Treasures--the Buddha, his teachings and the assembly of monks and nuns--these Three-Treasure Pearls are clearly visible on all four sides of the Still Thoughts Hall.

The flower-scattering, musical, and dancing feitien are distributed on the triple herringbone vergeboards, from the top to bottom layers respectively, on the south and north sides of the Still Thoughts Hall. The designs are done according to the characteristics of different peoples--their costumes, distinctive dancing styles, typical musical instruments and daily utensils. These bas-relief figures accentuate the sense of layering inherent in the Still Thoughts Hall, create a centripetal force, and build momentum upwards to the Three-Treasure Pearls on the top.

According to Buddhist scriptures, worshipping feitien are celestials who present offerings of flowers and fruits to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. The images of worshipping feitien, holding plates, baskets, vases or carrying jars on top of their heads, are displayed on the eaves of the Still Thoughts Hall. Based on the lifestyles of different races around the world, the offerings and the containers differ, too.

Since ancient times, the images of buddhas and bodhisattvas have been presented as kind and beautiful. Tzu Chi hopes that everyone can learn to be as compassionate as a bodhisattva. On the single herringbone vergeboards above the front and back doors of the Still Thoughts Hall are feitien in the images of minority groups, nuns who live in the Still Thoughts Abode, Tzu Chi commissioners and Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members. These feitien express the true essence of the Tzu Chi spirit: humanizing Buddhism and putting the teachings of the Buddha into action.

On the roof ridges facing north and south, there are playful and musical tungtzu-feitien in the images of modern children playing sports and games, studying at school or playing various musical instruments. On the roof ridges facing east and west, there are sign-language tungtzu-feitien who gesture with their hands the meanings of the Tzu Chi spirit and missions. Du, the chief designer, created these tungtzu-feitien based on the images of teenage boys and girls, because they are slender and because they are good performers. These tungtzu-feitien also show how Tzu Chi values education and cares for future generations.

Sculpturing

At first, Jeff Hsu had the idea of inviting sculptors from Taiwan and China, and even from Europe and America, to participate in this project. How meaningful and impressive it would be when the works of these artists from different countries were displayed together! However, not long after this idea was implemented, he realized that it was full of difficulties and problems. Because every artist had his or her own creative style, it was difficult to achieve a consistent overall effect when their works were put together. After evaluation, Du decided to invite Zhu Weijing, president of the Changsha College of Sculpture in Hunan Province, China, to supervise the project as its director-general. Zhu held numerous meetings with sculptors participating in the project, and a unified style finally came into being.

Zhu is famous in China for his Buddhist sculptures. In addition to his comprehensive understanding of Buddhist art, he also specializes in studies of ethnic minorities in China and around the world. Because of him, the 362 feitien are able to show the correct features, body proportions and appearances of each different race.

All the sculptors and their assistants worked in Nanchang, a Chinese city notorious for its extreme temperatures. In summer, the temperature in the city often reaches forty degrees Celsius [104 F], and in winter it drops to zero [32 F]. There was no air conditioning in the factory where the artists worked. In winter, the artists were not allowed to warm themselves with small heaters, for fear that the heat would dry out the clay. In order to adapt to the harsh weather conditions, they worked at night during the summer. They kept regular hours during the winter, but the wet clay felt like ice and they had to knead, mold and sculpt it with their bare hands...

From casting to installing

After the sculptures were finished, the job of casting was handed over to the Jiangxi Yufeng Metal Crafts Factory in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. Chen Zhenbo, the factory director, was a noted authority on copper casting and an engineer who received a salary from the Chinese government for his expertise. Under his direction, six hundred people worked around the clock for eight months, not stopping even on weekends.

There are two methods of copper casting: one is to cast in earthen molds, and the other is the cire perdue (lost wax) casting technique. The second technique is complicated and expensive, but produces better products. Therefore, it was used for casting the bas-relief feitien of the Still Thoughts Hall.

Casting cupronickel was a new process. The failure rate decreased only after Chen and his technical staff had made numerous attempts. Chen's resolve was astonishing. For the casting job, he converted the canteen and the brand-new two-story dormitory of the factory into working space. In order to assemble the wax models, he built a workshop by enclosing a courtyard, driveway and recreation room with a total area of 3,306 square meters [35,704 sq ft].

When the casting of the feitien was completed, another problem arose: How could they install the finished products, with a total area of 3,700 square meters and weighing 200 tons, at a height of 52 meters? This was no easy task!

When copper is heated and segmented, it loses its shape. Once the plane surface of the bas-reliefs becomes rough and uneven because of heat, shadows form when the sculptures are exposed to sunlight and the sense of beauty will disappear. Therefore, sculptors needed to have a clear idea of the exact size of the bas-reliefs before they started making the sculptures. At first, it was thought that they could create models for the bas-reliefs based on the blueprint for the Still Thoughts Hall. But after test measuring, they found that there were differences between the dimensions stated in the blueprints and the actual sizes. Hence, all the dimensions needed to be measured again.

The problem was solved by Chan Kuei-chi, deputy-director of the Construction Department of the Tzu Chi Foundation, and Hsu Chun-lun, an architect from C.C. Hsu & Associates, who together drew a correct blueprint by using an up-to-date infrared surveying instrument.

Based on this blueprint, the Yufeng Metal Crafts Factory cut pieces of plywood according to the actual size of the plane surfaces of the bas-reliefs and transported the plywood to Hualien. Liu Te-yen of the Miaochien Company and his son then nailed these pieces of plywood to the roof of the Still Thoughts Hall to ascertain the dimensions. They had to live in Hualien for more than two years to complete this difficult installation assignment.

Gratitude and wishes

It is no exaggeration to say that the feitien project was extremely arduous. Other than all the difficulties stated above, there were still many other difficult tasks such as coordinating between the designers and the sculptors, the sculptors and the manufacturers, the manufacturers and the designers, and the manufacturers and the installers. Every detail needed to be taken care of.

Jeff Hsu, chief supervisor of the feitien project, was grateful to Master Cheng Yen for the chance to participate in the project. He said that he had learned a great deal from the project. During the process, he felt a kind of joy, gratitude and love that he had never experienced before. He was strongly affected by the great power of love radiating from Tzu Chi people.

"No matter what I did when I was young, I never found real peace in my mind," said Du Yongwei, the chief designer. "It was not until I undertook the job of designing the feitien for Tzu Chi at the age of thirty-nine that I found the direction for my future creative work. In the future, I will instill the Tzu Chi spirit into my Buddhist art."

Zhu Weijing, the chief sculptor, expressed his feelings when he visited Hualien in July 2001. "Tzu Chi's culture of gratitude to others is a spirit of 'All for one and one for all.' The inspiration I derived from Tzu Chi people will serve as an important source for my sculptural creations."

Master Cheng Yen hopes that we can discover ourselves and find our purpose and happiness in life through giving. She wants us to be grateful to the needy, because the suffering they undergo is like a mirror reflecting our bliss. We should cherish what we have and help the needy. For the Master, the Still Thoughts Hall is an eternal spiritual home for all Tzu Chi people. She hopes that Tzu Chi members can be like those joyful feitien. The celestial beings decorating the inside and outside of the Still Thoughts Hall represent happy Tzu Chi people surrounding the Still Thoughts Hall and Master Cheng Yen.

If and when you have the chance, come and visit the Still Thoughts Hall in Hualien. Take a look at the building, the decorations, the feitien, and the Still Thoughts Bamboo Bungalow near the hall. They are the fruits of the efforts of tens of thousands of people put together. You will be touched and return home with your heart full of love and peace.