Cultural Interpretation Of The Architectural Space Of Labrang Monastery

Located at Xiahe County,Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan,bla-brang,founded in 1709,is one of the six Dge-lugs-pa temples of Tibetan Buddhism,which is known for its complete teaching and cultivation system of Tibetan Buddhism,and strict monk management system.In the development course of 300 years or so,bla-brang has gradually developed into a large-scale temple architectural complex covering a floor area of around 866,000 square meters and with more than 90 Buddha halls.The Taoxi Area where the temple is located is the area where Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Loess Plateau border each other.Therefore,the artistic characteristics of architecture and the ethnic group culture in this area demonstrate the characteristic of integration.To start with,this paper first expounds on the cultural and natural environment of Xiahe County,and summarizes the origin of the ethnic group living in this area.Through the narration of the construction process of bla-brang,emphasis on the historical and cultural significance of bla-brang following its construction,and clarification of the temple’s management and organizational institutions,the important position of bla-brang in religion is pointed out,and the establishment of the internal order of the temple is illustrated.This paper holds that bla-brang,a large-scale religious place,should not restrict its function and significance to holding gods and buddhas,organizing religious activities,developing monks,etc.During the historical period of the Tibetan people when the politics and education are integrated,the temple had a strong political influence.Besides,because of the critical position of temple education in Tibetan cultural education,bla-brang has become an architectural complex integrating the political function,religious function,cultural communication and social education.This paper expounds on every detail of blabrang’s current architectural space from three perspectives,namely the temple’s architectural type,layout,and decoration grade,and thinks that bla-brang creates a religious society with good orderliness and a strict hierarchy through the dimension,mass and coloring of its construction to emphasize the position of the ruler in front of the public.At last,this paper points out that,with the development of history,bla-brang gradually lost its function as a political governance center,which gradually evolved into a religious and cultural center.From the application of the character "寿"(literally meaning "longevity",in English)to the representation of the artistic form of brick sculptures to the concentrated borrowing of Chinese elements to "Panchen Lama Palace",the temple construction reflects the symbolic meaning of cultural exchange and integration.The artistic symbols expressed by bla-brang have made it a representative featuring the integration of the Han,Tibetan and Hui culture,having provided people with more diverse aesthetic expression.As the temple construction gradually evolves into a historical relic oriented towards the public,bla-brang,under the prerequisite of not influencing the temple’s religious life,has given full play to its social,educational and aesthetic functions more,through its layout adjustment and guiding of visitors.