A Tale of Two Stūpas: Diverging Paths in the Revival of Buddhism in China

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Albert Welter (Professor of East Asian Studies, Professor of East Asian Studies, University of Arizona)

A Tale of Two Stūpas

Diverging Paths in the Revival of Buddhism in China

Albert Welter (Professor of East Asian Studies, Professor of East Asian Studies, University of Arizona)

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
20 April 2023

Religious buildings; Buddhism

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, and the surrounding environs have one of the richest Buddhist cultures in China. In A Tale of Two St=upas, Albert Welter tells the story of Hangzhou Buddhism through the conceptions, erections, and resurrections of Yongming Stupa, dedicated to the memory of one of Hangzhou's leading Buddhist figures, and Leifeng Pagoda, built to house stupa relics of the historical Buddha.

Welter delves into the intricacies of these two sites and pays particular attention to their origins and rebirths. These sites have suffered devastation and endured long periods of neglect, yet both have been resurrected and re-resurrected during their histories and have resumed meaningful places in the contemporary Hangzhou landscape, a mark of their power and endurance. A Tale of Two St=upas adopts a site-specific, regional approach in order to show how the dynamics of initial conception, resurrection, and re-resurrection work, and what that might tell us about the nature of Hangzhou and Chinese Buddhism.

By: Albert Welter (Professor of East Asian Studies Professor of East Asian Studies University of Arizona)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 160mm, Width: 241mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 490g
ISBN: 9780197606636
ISBN 10: 0197606636
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 20 April 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

"Foreword Preface Chapter One: Introduction: Buddhist Relic Veneration, Buddhist Sites and Translocations, and the Transformation of the Hangzhou/Jiangnan region into an Indian Buddhist Homeland Chapter Two: Hangzhou Buddhism in Historical Perspective Chapter Three: The Origins and Development of the Yongming Stupa Chapter Four: The Origins and Development of Leifeng Pagoda Chapter Five: A Tale of Two St=upas: The Parameters of Buddhist Revival in China Appendix 1: Translations Associated with the ""resurrection"" of Yanshou and establishment of the Yongming Stupa Appendix 2: Translations of The Precious Chest Seal Dharani Satra and selections from Jingci Monastery Gazetteer relating to Leifeng Pagoda Bibliography Index"

Albert Welter is Professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. He is currently leading a project funded by the Khyentse Foundation on Buddhist Culture in the Hangzhou Region of China and its impact throughout East Asia.

Reviews for A Tale of Two Stūpas: Diverging Paths in the Revival of Buddhism in China

An eye-opening investigation of the multiple layers embedded in the construction and reconstruction of two of the most renowned pieces of religious architecture in East Asia. The narrative is engaging and revealing, bringing to light and relief a plethora of long-obscured elements of critical significance to medieval Chinese sociopolitical and religious history. Yet another tour de force by a dynamic historian of East Asian Buddhism and a must-read for all scholars from different fields of Asian History. * Jinhua Chen, Professor of East Asian History, University of British Columbia * A Tale of Two Stūpas highlights the politics of suppression and revival of Buddhism in the Hangzhou region in which secular power mingles with sacred space. The author's admirable research guides the reader through the fascinating interactions of religion, national identity, modernity, and economic intervention as well as the rich history of two stupas in Hangzhou, opening up a new horizon in understanding Chinese Buddhism through regional identity. * Jin Y. Park, Professor and Department Chair of Philosophy and Religion, American University *