The iron Buddha temple in Gaoping, Shanxi, has unveiled its stunning statues, which are unparalleled in the world

The founding date of the Iron Buddha Temple is unknown. According to the inscription carved on the bluestone door pier of the main hall, 'The Iron Buddha was cast and the Iron Buddha Temple was repaired on the 13th of July in the seventh year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty (1167)', it is known that the main hall was built in the Jin Dynasty. Although it has been repaired many times in the past dynasties, it still retains the techniques of the Jin Dynasty. The main hall is a wooden structure, with three bays wide and six trusses deep. It is rectangular in plan, with a hanging mountain-style roof, and features such as ridge decorations, brackets, eaves corners, and straight windows. The statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Guanyin, Manjusri, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and the twenty-four heavens that were sculpted inside the hall have gone through hundreds of years of history. What we see now are the damaged and worn-out Ming Dynasty statues, which are heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. These statues must have originated from some artists with great artistic talent and imagination, and they are unique in the entire Ming Dynasty. Visitors who come and go are all shocked. Sakyamuni Buddha sits in the center of the hall, sitting high on the Sumeru seat, with backlit hanging sculptures, golden and brilliant, and the gold foil on the Buddha's face has been scraped off by the ignorant. Manjusri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas stand on the lotus throne on both sides of the Buddha, but unfortunately their heads are lost and severely damaged. Behind Sakyamuni Buddha is Guanyin Bodhisattva, who is also only a remnant. On the east, north, and west sides of the main hall, twenty-four heavens are sculpted. These statues are taller than real people, some with protruding eyeballs, some with hair standing upside down, some with toes gripping the ground, and some with armor protecting their bodies. Their shapes are vivid and peculiar, their forms are different, and they are lifelike. The Iron Buddha Temple is hidden in a farmhouse, and it is currently not open to the public, so it is generally impossible to see the statues inside.