3-5. Zhì Zhu Si - Conversion

Background of Zhì Zhu Si

Zhì Zhu Si was built in 1756, with a very complete three-entry courtyard layout, which is typical of Beijing Buddhist temples in the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Kangxi praised Tibetan Buddhism and promoted the construction of Buddhist temples across the country around the end of the 17th century. Three prominent temples were chosen to be built on the site of the former Imperial Scripture Printing Factory in Beijing. The three temples, Zhizhu Temple, Fayuan Temple, and Songzhu Temple, are organized in a line from east to west, forming a bigger group of temples. Emperor Qianlong inscribed the three characters "Zhizhu Si." The name can be translated to "temple of wisdom." Zhizhu Si, along with Songzhu Si and Fayuan Si, became the most important Tibetan Buddhist sacred sites in Beijing under the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong. The "living Buddha" Jangjia Qututgtu (JangjiaQututgtu), as one of the most outstanding religious leaders at the time, has always lived in Zhizhu Si and adjacent temples, and often held various religious ceremonies and activities here. Until 1949, on the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Sixth Living Buddha still lived in Zhizhu Temple. 34

With the changes of time and political factors, the ZhiZhu Si has undergone many different functional changes. After 1949, most of the temples in Beijing were open to the public to use, from gold paint factories, bicycle factories, TV factories, etc. With the process of industrialization, the interior appearance and structure were also damaged by the machine. In 1970, a fire broke out in the temple. The main hall was affected by the fire, which led to the resulting structure turning black. In 1984, ZhiZhu Si became Beijing’s cultural relics protection unit, but it is still been occupied by the machine factory. The factory did not play a substantial role in protection. Moreover, in 2000 the temple has been leased out as a waste collection station for up to 3 years. After the removal of the waste collection station, Zhizhu Si fell into decline due to the harsh environment and reached its most dangerous time. 35 In 2007, Juan van Wassenhove of Belgium found this temple and decided to restore the temple. He cooperated with the local design team and spent five years repairing the temple since 2008. The restoration of the temple was completed under the protection and restoration of the original structure and materials of the original as much as possible. In 2013 the temple was able to open to the public with its new and old appearances. Some of the buildings are now reused as a restaurant, hotel, multi-functional exhibition hall, etc. Moreover, the temple was awarded from 2012 UNESCO Heritage Award. "The comprehensive restoration of the architecturally significant late 17th century Zhizhusi temple complex in Beijing has enabled the rich layers of its history to be revealed, enhanced, and celebrated." 36 The award shows that how the success of the result is. The ZhiZhu Si conservation is not just giving the temple new life, but also preserving the temple's history and traditional values.

Floor Plan in different period

Redrawall by Hungche Cho, According to the data from Old Buildings as the Palimpsest - Tian Zhuang

ing Dynasty After 1949 After 2013

Zhì Zhu Si Before the Restoration and After it

The timeline of Zhizhu Si can be divided into three parts for analysis. From Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, the second half of the 20th century, and after its restoration in 2013. The biggest difference from the previous two cases is that the Zhizhu Si was restored in a nearly abandoned state, which makes it more difficult to repair and preserve the building. The Zhizhu Si has changed from the original royal temple to a nearly deserted place under the evolution of time. The reason is that in the second half of the 20th century, the People's Republic of China issued the policy that opened most of the temples for private use, therefore the building did not being used well, it has become a victim of the evolution of the times.

It can be seen from the plan that from the beginning of the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, Zhizhu Si was the first Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing, therefore its scale was a rather formal and solemn, three-entry courtyard pattern( 三進院落 ). In 1950, the temple lost its religious function and opened for civilian use. In response to the use of the factory, the space configuration and architecture of the temple began to undergo substantial changes. The houses on the west side and bell tower and drum tower were demolished and replaced by factories and temporary buildings. The courtyard space before and after the main hall was also filled with temporary buildings. It was not until the restoration of the building in 2008-2013 that it gradually recovered its vitality.

During the 2008-2013 maintenance, according to 一条 interview with the main restoration operator Juan van Wassenhove( 註解 ), it can be learned that Mr. Wassenhove, a Belgian, is deeply fascinated by Zhizhu Si and is willing to put a lot of effort into this space. The restoration is carried out with the concept of repairing the old as before. However, the removal of temporary buildings that are harmful to the building is not just a comprehensive removal but respects the changes that have occurred in the building and space under the historical evolution, such as the buildings newly built during the Republic of China were retained, and the factory buildings added later were cleaned and reused. The attitude it holds is also fully in line with the "Article 11 The valid contributions of all periods to the building of a monument must be respected, since unity of style is not the aim of a restoration." 37

Zhì Zhu Si Before the Restoration Credit: 崔金泽

Skin

From the 一条 interview with Mr. Wassenhove, it can be known that he is following the principle of repairing the old. 38 Therefore the restoration project of 2008-2013 did not carry out a large scale except for the necessary repair and material replacement in the appearance of the building. However, it can be inferred from the photos that the south facade of the main hall ( 大悲殿 ) may have changed during the period when the temple was used by the people. The arcade pillars that should have surrounded the building only exist at the north. In addition, although the color paintings of the outdoor beams of the main hall faded, even partially peeled off, due to lack of sufficient information, the current situation is still maintained for protection. Furthermore, the glass and window frames of the windows also have signs of changes, but they are still in use today and have not been replaced. According to Zhang Fan’s research and interviews with the personnel responsible for the restoration work, it can be learned that the repair staff will observe every day, such as when the color paintings naturally peel off, they will clean up and protect them, and rebrush special oil on the wood construction materials for protection. 39 A more special point is that, to meet the needs of the new exhibition space while achieving the effect of protecting the old doors and windows, the restoration project in 2008 nested new doors and windows on the inner layer to meet the daily use needs of the exhibition hall. The additional building on the south side of the main hall was transformed into a hotel, and the east wall of the building was plastered, which echoes the original brick surface to add modernity to the building. The pool on the east side of the hotel has been preserved, and the original factory building outline has been used. The lighting installation art in cooperation with the Japanese team lab has been added here.

From the above changes, the restoration in 2008 did not make major changes to the historical buildings except for the most basic maintenance and repair and necessary painting of the facade of the building. Most of the changes were concentrated in the 1960s. Subsequent new buildings such as factory buildings have not undergone substantial restoration of the temple body since the establishment of the Qing Dynasty.

North Façade of Main Hall Credit: 沈安杨 South Façade of Main Hall Credit: 沈安杨

Structure

Zhizhu Si is a typical Han-Tibetan mixed Buddhist temple layout. From the central axis, they are First Entrance( 山門 ), Second Hall( 天王殿 ), Main Hall( 大悲殿 ), Longevity Hall( 長壽殿 ), and Back Hall( 後殿 ). The latter two buildings are due to property rights, therefore are not within the scope of repair. The original building was severely damaged during the occupation and renovation, and the halls on the central axis were damaged to varying degrees. The traces of the renovation can be seen in the three buildings. Except for the main structures, the other part of the building of the structure has undergone a certain level of change.

Mr. Wassenhove mentioned in the interview that the Main Hall was the place where the most effort was spent. 38 A fire broke out in the main hall in 1970. Although the building was not server damaged due to timely rescue, part of the wood structure became scorched, and fragility. During the restoration in 2008, part of the burnt-out building structure was also replaced. Because Mr. Wassenhove adhered to the principle of repairing the old, so he deliberately put the wood into the old appearance when replacing the building materials. By doing that the traces of replacement become less obvious. In terms of the roof, a total of more than 60,000 roof tiles were left from the Qing Dynasty. To keep those precious tiles, and for subsequent safety and stability, the craftsmen removed the tiles and manually cleaned them, and installed them back on the roof. Besides the Halls in the middle, the buildings of the east side, including the Eastern side hall( 東配殿 ) and the space where the monks lived, have also undergone structural restoration.

The architectural structure of Zhizhu Si has changed to varying degrees over time. In the absence of sufficient building materials, the restoration project in 2008 did not guess and rehabilitate arbitrarily. Instead, most of the construction maintains the original building structure and repair the damage under the original foundation. The factory buildings built in the 1960s have also changed their appearance during the restoration period with the introduction of new functions. But while changing, it also matched the atmosphere of the ancient temple to create a harmonious visual image.

Restoration of Roof Structure Credit: 一条 Interview Video Restoration of Roof Structure II Credit: 一条 Interview Video

Space

The spatial transformation of Zhizhu Si is the most changed part in the three lenses. The spatial transformation includes, First Entrance ( 山門 ) transformed into an open exhibition space, Second Hall ( 天王殿 ) is used as the front hall of the restaurant on the west side. The Main Hall ( 大悲殿 ) is used as a multifunctional space, the Eastern side hall is used as a meeting room, and the Eastside monk's living space is used as an exhibition space. The western new building was converted into a French restaurant and Hotel.

In terms of restoration, the Main Hall is a major focus in the restoration project. The interior of the space has many traces of different ages, from the slogan "Unity, Tension, Seriousness, and Lively" in the early construction of the People's Republic of China to the traditional Sanskrit on the ceiling of the Qing Dynasty decoration paintings, colored paintings on beams and pillars. These interior elements of different ages have been well taken care of in the 2008 restoration. According to Mr. Wassenhove, when repairing the ceiling paintings, a professional painter was specially invited to clean and maintain them. The act of respecting its authenticity and not performing a comprehensive restoration is a major focus of the entire restoration project. Another major change in the temple is the building complex on the west side. It was rebuilt in 1960 and connected with the original ancient building. The restoration project did not destroy its current condition. Instead, it used the space formed by the new and old buildings here to introduce the function of the hotel. The newly-added factory building has undergone a substantial transformation into a French restaurant and its kitchen. In addition to the renovation of the building, the overall environment of Zhizhu Si also has many details. Many modern elements have been added to the original layout, such as sculptures, seats, pool, installation art, etc. In the solemn atmosphere of the ancient temple, more lively artistic elements have been added, and harmony with the temple has been taken into consideration in terms of color and style.

After Restoration of Main Hall Credit: 一条 Interview Video After Restoration of Main Hall Celling Credit: 一条 Interview Video

Summary

Zhizhu Si has undergone many changes from the formerly respected royal temple to the garbage collection site to the new multi-functional space now. Its architecture also left many different traces over time. Under the careful restoration and preservation of later generations, the current Zhizhu Si is not only the royal temple of the Qing Dynasty but the new Zhizhu Si that has experienced a rebirth after suffering. Buildings in different periods have been respected under the restoration work, rather than simply pursuing the original appearance. The most admirable thing is the spirit that the craftsman holds "repair the old as the old", which is also in line with the Venice Charter "Article 12. Replacements of missing parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but at the same time must be distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not falsify the artistic or historic evidence." (The Venice Charter 1964, 3) 40 Although Zhizhu Si did not have enough information and even started with poor conditions, it still restored the history and memory of Zhizhu Si to the public. The memories of different periods contained in the Zhizhu Si are introduced to visitors through space and architecture.

In front of Main Hall Photo Credit: 一条 Interview Video