Erechtheum

Name : Erechtheum

Location : North side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece

Architecture :

The temple as seen today was built between 421 and 407 BC. Its architect may have been Mnesicles, and it derived its name from a shrine dedicated to the legendary Greek hero Erichthonius. Some have suggested that it may have been built in honour of the legendary king Erechtheus, who is said to have been buried nearby. Erechtheus and Erichthonius were often syncretized. It is believed to have been a replacement for the Pesistratid temple of Athena Polias destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC.

The need to preserve multiple adjacent sacred precincts likely explains the complex design. The main structure consists of up to four compartments, the largest being the east cella, with an Ionic portico on its east end. Other current thinking would have the entire interior at the lower level and the East porch used for access to the great altar of Athena Polias via a balcony and stair and also as a public viewing platform.

The entire temple is on a slope, so the west and north sides are about 3 m (9 ft) lower than the south and east sides. It was built entirely of marble from Mount Pentelikon, with friezes of black limestone from Eleusis which bore sculptures executed in relief in white marble. It had elaborately carved doorways and windows, and its columns were ornately decorated (far more so than is visible today); they were painted, gilded and highlighted with gilt bronze and multi-colored inset glass beads. The building is known for early examples of egg-and-dart, and guilloche ornamental moldings.

Religious functions :

The Erectheum was associated with some of the most ancient and holy relics of the Athenians: the Palladion, which was a xoanon (defined as a wooden effigy fallen from heaven - not man-made) of Athena Polias (Protectress of the City); the marks of Poseidon's trident and the salt water well (the "salt sea") that resulted from Poseidon's strike; the sacred olive tree that sprouted when Athena struck the rock with her spear in her successful rivalry with Poseidon for the city; the supposed burial places of the mythical kings Cecrops and Erechtheus; the sacred precincts of Cecrops' three daughters, Herse, Pandrosus and Aglaurus; and those of the tribal heroes Pandion and Boutes.

The temple itself was dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon Erechtheus. Within the foundations lived the sacred snake of the temple, which represented the spirit of Cecrops and whose well-being was thought essential for the safety of the city. The snake was fed honey-cakes by Canephorae, the priestesses of Athena Polias, by custom the women of the ancient family of Eteoboutadae, the supposed descendants of the hero Boutes. The snake's occasional refusal to eat the cakes was thought a disastrous omen.

Late antiquity and the Middle Ages :

The intact Erechtheum was extensively described by the Roman geographer Pausanias (1.26.5 - 27.3), writing a century after it had been restored in the 1st century AD. The internal layout has since been obscured by the temple's later use as a church and possibly as a Turkish harem.

Modern Times :

One of the caryatids was removed by Lord Elgin in order to decorate his Scottish mansion, and was later sold to the British Museum (along with the pedimental and frieze sculpture taken from the Parthenon). Athenian legend had it that at night the remaining five Caryatids could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Elgin attempted to remove a second Caryatid; when technical difficulties arose, he tried to have it sawn to pieces. The statue was smashed, and its fragments were left behind. It was later reconstructed haphazardly with cement and iron rods.

Recent events :

The Caryatids have been transferred to the New Acropolis Museum. The first was carried over safely on December 9th, 2007, via an elaborate system of aerial cranes.

Within the new museum, the statue was reunited with its long-missing sandalled left foot, which was identified among rubble in the 1980s. The reassembled Caryatid, along with the four others remaining in Athens, is having its decayed patina thoroughly restored by laser, and is on display in the new museum.


Website :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erechtheum

The San-wei Mountain and Guan-yin Temple

Name : The San-wei Mountain and Guan-yin Temple

Location : The mountain described by the Tun Huang Lu is directly west from the Mogao oasis, Dunhuang, China ( An oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China.)

Apart from its prominence, rising as it does above the surrounding hills, its apparent religious significance may be related to its shape, with three distinct peaks recalling the Chinese character (shan) for Mountain. As Prof. Wu Hung has pointed out, images of mountains with three peaks appear in early Chinese representations of "The Heavens."



A trail provides access to the top of the mountain. Near the monastery at the Guan-yin Well, a sign on the trail indicates it leads to Guan-yin Shan. The trail is well trodden, but occasionally there are misleading forks; in general one should keep to the right. The trail from the north basically follows the ridge line; as the first photo shows from up on the ridge, those who have sensitivity to exposure at heights probably should not attempt it.

From the Mogao Caves to the top of the mountain takes a couple hours. At the top is a temple built (or at least re-built) in modern times. Apart from the obvious pagoda, it has a small room for visitors to sleep in and a separate room with a shrine to Guan-yin.



Website : http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/cities/china/dh/san.html

Gargantuan Guanyin Buddha Statue

Name : Gargantuan Guanyin Buddha Statue

Location : Sanwei Buddhist Holy Mountain. Located due East of the Mogao Caves complex Sanwei Mountain is one of the lesser visited places near Dunhuang

Description : At a relatively small distance driving out of Dunhuang, some 18 kilometers some of which along a treacherous road through ravines and underneath steep cliffs and rock-falls Sanwei Mountain Valley and Temple Complex offer a rich reward for visitors. Admire the GuanYin Well Buddhist Temple Pavilions and their Murals, pray at the Multiple Altars and then come face to face with Sanwei Mountain's Gargantuan Guanyin Buddha Statue.

Website : http://www.drben.net/ChinaReport/Gansu_Province/Dunhuang/Landmarks-Hotspots/Dunhuang-Landmarks-Monuments-Index.html

Guanyin of Mount Xiqiao

Name : Guanyin of Mount Xiqiao

Location : Nanhai district, Foshan, Guangdong, China

Description : Xiqiao Shan's primary tourist attraction is a gigantic statue of Guan Yin, reminiscent of Hong Kong's famous Lantau Island Big Buddha. Sitting atop one of the highest points of Xiqiao Shan, Big Guan Yin is bronze plated and surrounded by a moat.

This humonguous statue of Guan Yin was built in the 1990's when Xiqiao was first officially transformed into a tourist zone, but the legend of Guan Yin is a very ancient one... Actually, Guan Yin is really the Chinese version of the Indian bodhisattva Avalokitesvara... According to the Lotus Sutra, this being can assume any form required in order to fulfill the mission of relieving suffering so it can be either male or female. In China, Guan Yin is usually portrayed as a woman, just as she appears in the famous Chinese classic saga "Journey to the West".
Commonly known in the West as the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Taoists as an Immortal.

Website : http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/China/Guangdong_Sheng/Guangzhou-1017747/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Guangzhou-Xiqiao_Shan_Teng-BR-1.html

Usami Kannon

Name : Usami Kannon

Location : Located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Ito City, in the tiny town of Usami. Usami is a small town on the Izu Peninsula of Japan.

Description : This 50-meter high sitting statue of the Kannon (built to pray for global peace) was constructed in 1982. The Kannon sits on a hill above the town. Reportedly the largest sitting statue of Kannon in Japan. The temple grounds hold a broad array of statues, including those from Tibet and Nepal, numerous mandala, and statues of the Seven Lucky Gods. Some web sites claim it is the Jibo Kannon (Loving Mother Kannon).

The deity depicted in the statue is known as Avalokitesvara. is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism. In China and its sphere of cultural influence, Avalokiteśvara is often depicted in a female form known as Guan Yin. (However, in Taoist mythology, Guan Yin has other origination stories which are unrelated to Avalokiteśvara.)

Avalokitesvara is also referred to as Padmapāni ("Holder of the Lotus") or Lokeśvara ("Lord of the World"). In Tibetan, Avalokiteśvara is known as Chenrezig, and is said to be incarnated in the Dalai Lama,[1] the Karmapa[2][3] and other high Lamas. In Mongolia, he is called Megjid Janraisig, Xongsim Bodisadv-a, or Nidüber Üjegči.

Website : http://www.kannon.co.jp

Baguashan and the Great Buddha Statue

Name : Baguashan

Location : Mount Bagua, Changhua City, Taiwan

Description : On Taiwan's eastern fringe is high Baguashan (Eight Trigram Mountain). On the top of which its crowning glory – the iconic 92m-tall Great Buddha Statue.

Towering 22m above its brightly coloured lotus flower base, the seated likeness of the Sakyamuni Buddha has become one of Taiwan's most recognizable landmarks since its construction in 1961. The serene figure is the dominant feature of the local landscape, visible from several places in town and giving the area an enchanting ambience.

Built on the former site of a commemorative tablet erected during the Japanese occupation, it is made entirely of reinforced concrete and has a hollow, six-storey interior. The inside walls, decorated with dioramas depicting the stages of Buddha's life, have been given a facelift, and visitors can ascend stairs leading as high as the statue's neck.



Baguashan affords great views of Changhua, on very clear days yielding vistas to the sea; for this reason it was an important military lookout up until the Japanese colonial period. Behind the statue to the east is the three-storey Great Buddha Temple, the top floor of which is a superb place to watch the sun set over the Great Buddha's shoulders. Still further east is the tranquil Baguashan Scenic Area, interspersed with short walkways leading to pavilions and city overlooks.

Website :