Destination from history to treasure
The statue, in a sitting posture, wears a crown, draped in ornaments. One foot rests on a lotus, while the other rests on the thigh. Both hands are placed naturally on the knee, exuding a sense of tranquillity. The statue breaks with the stiffness often associated with religious images, and embodies a more natural and graceful presence.
The Lingxiao pagoda, a brick-and-wood hybrid tower in neighboring Tianning Temple that is built in the form of an octagonal pavilion-style structure and is 40.98 meters high, and the Xumi (or Sumeru) pagoda, built in 636 of the Tang Dynasty at the Kaiyuan Temple, also caught Liang's eye.
After this initial journey, Liang found himself drawn repeatedly to Zhengding by these treasures and visited many buildings again on several occasions, measuring, photographing and even discovering new buildings, according to records.
He also made detailed architectural drawings of eight structures, including the Moni Dian, and the Zhuanlunzang Ge.
