Visualization of Construction Sequence and Fuzzy Logic Evaluation of The

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Visualization of Construction Sequence and Fuzzy Logic Evaluation of The Visualization of Construction Sequence and Fuzzy Logic Evaluation of The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta) in China Master Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University. By Fei Yang, B.S. Graduate Program in Civil Engineering The Ohio State University 2016 Thesis Committee: Dr. Fabian Tan, Advisor Dr. Abdollah Shafieezadeh, Committee Member Dr. Philip Smith, Committee Member Dr. Karen Dannemiller, Committee Member Copyright by Fei Yang 2016 Abstract Dayanta, also called the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, is a square seven-floor pagoda located in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. This thesis provides a visualized investigation of Dayanta in three aspects: (1) redrawing the four different versions of Dayanta in history; (2) providing a 3-D simulation of the structure and construction sequence of today’s Dayanta by using Autodesk 3DS MAX in a step-by-step manner; and (3) evaluating the performance of Dayanta by using Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis (FFTA) in the form of diagram and fuzzy logic graphics. A graphics pipeline has been proposed as the methodology to accomplish the entire modeling work, and it offers an effective method for the digital reconstruction of ancient buildings and graphical simulation in its structure and construction activities. The significance of the Dayanta modeling work can be reflected in the contributions to preserve ancient architecture, visualize historical data in 3-D graphics, and apply the models in education. The results produced by the two FFTA agree with a real observation of Dayanta, ranging from extremely good to very good, verifying the effectiveness of the use of FFTA to investigate the Dayanta’s performance. In conclusion, the visualized investigation of ancient building can be regarded as an exploration of the application of visualization techniques and the employment of fuzzy methods when investigating the performance of the Dayanta. KEYWORD: 3-D graphical simulation, angular fuzzy model, construction sequence, Dayanta, fuzzy fault tree, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, visualization ii Dedication Dedicated to my family iii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to express my gratefulness to my advisor Dr. Fabian Tan for his encouragement and guidance in my research. With his patient advice and insightful vision, I could finish my research from a small initial idea to this systematic work. This thesis cannot be accomplished without his patient instruction and advising. Also, I sincerely thank to all my committee members, they are Dr. Abdollah Shafieezadeh, Dr. Karen Dannemiller and Dr. Philip Smith. With their constructive comments and intellectual suggestions, I could retrospect to my thesis, discover drawbacks and make improvements continuously. Additionally, I thank all my friends in my program, who provided me with excellent comments and suggestions during my research. Especially, I want to thank Lixin Jia and her son, who helped me take photos onsite. Without their help, I cannot complete such an excellent work. Moreover, I appreciate all my friends in Columbus Chinese Christian Church (CCCC), and I cannot gain such an achievement without their emotional support. Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank my parents and my husband for providing me with encouragement and support when I was working on my thesis. Your continuous trust and sincere blessings are inexhaustible motivation for me through my life forever. iv Vita 2012 ...............................................................B.S. Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, China 2014-2015 ......................................................Graduate Program of Civil Engineering, Ohio University 2015-Present ..................................................Graduate Program of Civil Engineering, The Ohio State University Publications Yang, Fei, Shilun Hao, Adrian Tan and Fabian Tan. 2016. “Graphic Modeling for Step-By- Step Construction of the Dayan Pagoda In Xi’an.” Proceeding of the 16th International Conference on Geometry and Graphics, ICGG 2016. Beijing, China. Yang, Jin, Adrian Tan, Fabian Tan, Michael Parke and Fei Yang. 2016. “Computer-Aided Construction of The Great Wall of China in Jinshanling.” Proceeding of the 16th International Conference on Geometry and Graphics, ICGG 2016. Beijing, China. Hao, Shilun, Adrian Tan, Fei Yang and Fabian Tan. 2016. “Graphical Simulation of the Construction Process of Chinese Dougong Using Virtual Reality.” Poster Session of the 16th International Conference on Geometry and Graphics, ICGG 2016. Beijing, China. Liang, Man, Fei Yang, Shilun Hao and Fabian Tan. 2016. “Graphical Simulation of Humble Administrator’s Garden and Animations.” Poster Session of the 16th International Conference on Geometry and Graphics, ICGG 2016. Beijing, China. Fields of Study Major field: Civil Engineering v Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. iv Vita ....................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... x List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Goal ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Scope ......................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Objective ................................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 7 1.6 Tasks .......................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 Literature Review ............................................................................................. 12 2.1 Humanity ................................................................................................................. 12 vi 2.1.1 Public culture ................................................................................................... 12 2.1.2 Buddhist cultural influence .............................................................................. 14 2.2 Mechanical .............................................................................................................. 17 2.2.1 Anti-seismic studies ......................................................................................... 17 2.3 Graphical simulation ............................................................................................... 20 2.3.1 3-D Modeling ................................................................................................... 20 2.3.2 VR simulation ................................................................................................... 23 2.3.3 Digital Reconstruction ...................................................................................... 25 2.4 Fuzzy Logic .............................................................................................................. 27 Chapter 3 Historical Studies .............................................................................................. 30 3.1 A Brief History of the Dayanta ................................................................................ 30 3.2 First Version of the Dayanta (AD 652–704) ............................................................ 35 3.3 Second Version of the Dayanta (AD 704–930) ....................................................... 39 3.4 Third Version of the Dayanta (AD 933–1604) ......................................................... 42 3.5 Fourth Version of the Dayanta (AD 1604–present) ................................................ 45 Chapter 4 Substructure ..................................................................................................... 48 4.1 Water Table ............................................................................................................. 48 4.2 Soil Condition .......................................................................................................... 52 4.3 Foundation .............................................................................................................. 56 vii 4.4 Leaning .................................................................................................................... 61 Chapter 5 Superstructure ................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Weiwei Du Thesis
    Queensland University of Technology Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Health Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Public Health Human Health and Wellbeing Domain Policy Analysis of Disaster Health Management in China Weiwei Du BA, BEc (Peking University) A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY November, 2010 I II Supervisory Team Principal Supervisor: Prof. Gerard FitzGerald MB, BS (Qld), BHA (NSW), MD (QLD), FACEM, FRACMA, FCHSE School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia Phone: 61 7 3138 3935 Email: [email protected] Associate Supervisor: Dr. Xiang-Yu Hou BM (Shandong Uni), MD (Peking Uni), PhD (QUT) School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia Phone: 61 7 3138 5596 Email: [email protected] Associate Supervisor: Prof. Michele Clark BOccThy (Hons), BA, PhD School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia Phone: 61 7 3138 3525 Email: [email protected] III IV Certificate of Originality The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signed: Mr. Weiwei Du Date: November 8th, 2010 V VI Keywords Disaster Medicine Disaster Health Management in China Disaster Policy Policy Analysis Health Consequences of Flood Case Study of Floods VII Abstract Humankind has been dealing with all kinds of disasters since the dawn of time.
    [Show full text]
  • The Great Mortality
    • Superintendent Cincinnati Parks • Director Public Services • Director of Metropolitan Sewer District [email protected] • Green Umbrella Greater Cincinnati • Millcreek Valley Conservancy District • Urban Forestry Advisory Board • Charter Committee Cincinnati • Clifton Town Meeting • NCSU Board of Regents [email protected] • American Pilgrims of the Camino • Chief of Staff – Councilmember David Mann [email protected] [email protected] Repubblica Fiorentina 1115 -1569 Year 1348 Until a decade ago Florence, a City State, was prosperous, under a Repubblicaquasi-democratic Fiorentina institution led by Guilds. The Banks of Florence are the dominant financial institutions in Europe. The Golden Florin of Florence is used for international transactions (like dollar now.) Florence has been weakened by wars with other city states Draught, followed by floods have devastated crops leading to famine The King of England has defaulted on his loan1115 to pay -1569 for the100-year war with France Repubblica Fiorentina January 1348 Florence is enjoying the warm winter It is just one case, sun of Tuscany we have all under Rumor has it that there is a very control, it will go strange illness in Messina (Sicily), but away! it does not concern Florentines, Messina is very far away……. February 1348 One person get sick. More people get sick. March 1348 Florence has lost half of its population. Sicily will loose 80% of its population The Great Mortality The Great Mortality The Bubonic Plague The Black Plague A glimpse into Apocalypse • Between
    [Show full text]
  • Intraplate Earthquakes in North China
    5 Intraplate earthquakes in North China mian liu, hui wang, jiyang ye, and cheng jia Abstract North China, or geologically the North China Block (NCB), is one of the most active intracontinental seismic regions in the world. More than 100 large (M > 6) earthquakes have occurred here since 23 BC, including the 1556 Huax- ian earthquake (M 8.3), the deadliest one in human history with a death toll of 830,000, and the 1976 Tangshan earthquake (M 7.8) which killed 250,000 people. The cause of active crustal deformation and earthquakes in North China remains uncertain. The NCB is part of the Archean Sino-Korean craton; ther- mal rejuvenation of the craton during the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic caused widespread extension and volcanism in the eastern part of the NCB. Today, this region is characterized by a thin lithosphere, low seismic velocity in the upper mantle, and a low and flat topography. The western part of the NCB consists of the Ordos Plateau, a relic of the craton with a thick lithosphere and little inter- nal deformation and seismicity, and the surrounding rift zones of concentrated earthquakes. The spatial pattern of the present-day crustal strain rates based on GPS data is comparable to that of the total seismic moment release over the past 2,000 years, but the comparison breaks down when using shorter time windows for seismic moment release. The Chinese catalog shows long-distance roaming of large earthquakes between widespread fault systems, such that no M ࣙ 7.0 events ruptured twice on the same fault segment during the past 2,000 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Day 2 Day 3 Day 1
    Xi’AN Back to the heyday of the Tang Dynasty Location of Xi’an Xi’an is known as Chang’an in ancient times. Having served as the capital of thirteen dynasties, this city is one of the most important places to study and review the history of China. The Tang Dynasty was the pinnacle of China’s history, a period marked by great urbanism and cultural magnificence. As the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Xi’an was the centre of Eastern civilisation. Its importance was comparable to that of Rome in the West. Xi’an’s Tang Dynasty monuments are the most famous of all, and beyond that, the city is committed to recreating the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Nowadays, in Xi’an, it is no longer an unattainable dream to travel back in time to the Tang Dynasty. What’s hot Shaanxi History Museum The Shaanxi History Museum is one of the four major museums in China. Its extensive collection of artefacts showcase 1.5 million years of Shaanxi’s history. The third gallery features the culture of the Tang Dynasty as well as artefacts from both the Sui and Tang Dynasties, while the fourth gallery displays a collection of gold and silver artefacts from the Tang Dynasty unearthed in Hejiacun Village. The “Treasure of the Museum”—Agate Cup with Beast’s Head Carving is a superbly crafted jade carving with chic colour. One can also visit the Treasures Gallery and the Tang Dynasty Mural Treasures Gallery of the museum. 91 Xiaozhai East Road, Xiaozhai Commercial Street, Yanta District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, China Take Xi’an Metro Line 1 or 2 and get off at Xiaozhai Station, the museum will be reach from north-east exit.
    [Show full text]
  • Mirror, Moon, and Memory in Eighth-Century China: from Dragon Pond to Lunar Palace
    EUGENE Y. WANG Mirror, Moon, and Memory in Eighth-Century China: From Dragon Pond to Lunar Palace Why the Flight-to-the-Moon The Bard’s one-time felicitous phrasing of a shrewd observation has by now fossilized into a commonplace: that one may “hold, as ’twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.”1 Likewise deeply rooted in Chinese discourse, the same analogy has endured since antiquity.2 As a commonplace, it is true and does not merit renewed attention. When presented with a physical mirror from the past that does register its time, however, we realize that the mirroring or showing promised by such a wisdom is not something we can take for granted. The mirror does not show its time, at least not in a straightforward way. It in fact veils, disfi gures, and ultimately sublimates the historical reality it purports to refl ect. A case in point is the scene on an eighth-century Chinese mirror (fi g. 1). It shows, at the bottom, a dragon strutting or prancing over a pond. A pair of birds, each holding a knot of ribbon in its beak, fl ies toward a small sphere at the top. Inside the circle is a tree fl anked by a hare on the left and a toad on the right. So, what is the design all about? A quick iconographic exposition seems to be in order. To begin, the small sphere refers to the moon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Wooden Buddhist Temples*
    ETHNOLOGY DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2017.45.2.142-148 A.Y. Mainicheva1, 2, V.V. Talapov2, and Zhang Guanying3 1Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia E-mail: [email protected] 2Novosibirsk State University of Architecture, Design and Arts, Krasny pr. 38, Novosibirsk, 630099, Russia E-mail: [email protected] 3AVIC Forestry CO., LTD, International Business Div. 22F, No. 28 Changjiang Rd, YEDA, Yantai, Shandong, China E-mail: [email protected] Principles of the Information Modeling of Cultural Heritage Objects: The Case of Wooden Buddhist Temples* This article describes the principles and prospects of using the BIM (building information modeling) technology, which was for the fi rst time used to reconstruct wooden Buddhist temples, to assess cultural information relating to them, and to evaluate the impact of the environment and exploitation. Preserving and restoring such temples is diffi cult because their construction includes wooden brackets—dougong. The BIM technology and our own method based on treatises of old Chinese architecture have enabled us to generate an information model of the temple (a new means of information processing) and to test it for geometric consistency. To create a library of elements, the Autodesk Revit software was used. To test the effi ciency of the library we applied the information model to the Shengmudian temple in the Shanxi province. The adaptation of the dougong library elements to wooden Buddhist temples provides the possibility for applying such technologies to generate a unifi ed system regardless of the software. Keywords: Architectural monuments, information modeling, BIM, Buddhist temples, dougong.
    [Show full text]
  • Temple Architecture of Liao & Jin Dynasty
    Recent Researches in Energy, Environment and Landscape Architecture Temple Architecture of Liao&Jin dynasty(916-1234A.D) in Datong JI JIANLE, CHENRONG College of Landscape Architecture Nanjing Forestry University 159 Longpan Road, 210037, Nanjing CHINA [email protected] http://yuanlin.njfu.edu.cn Abstract:Datong was the auxiliary capital of Liao and Jin Dynasties, it was also the Buddhist center of northern china at that time. A lot of Buddhist buildings were carefully preserved there. Most people don’t know that the architecture of the same time, such as Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties are followed Tang Dynasty but the same time they are different from each other. After doing the research about the Buddhist buildings in Datong, it was known that the architecture style of the dynasties of the same time such as Song , Liao and Jin was followed Tang Dynasty. But what is the difference from them? Through research these Buddhist buildings, we can conclude that people in Liao and Jin periods followed the architectural style of Tang Dynasty -- roof gentle gradient, eaves overhangs deeply, large Dougong, thick columns, the appearance of the building is simple, forceful and effective, unlike the building of Song , soft and beautiful. However, the building of Liao Dynasty developed their own characteristics, the appearance and use of oblique Dougong. Key Words: Datong,Liao and Jin Dynasties,Buddhism,architectural styles,Dougong,roof,decline of the columns during the end of Tang Dynasty and Wudai Dynasty 1 The Buddhist buildings during Liao until the beginning of Khitan Dynasty . Datong was in the Yanyun sixteen states, which later occupied by and Jin periods in Datong area Khitan in the times of Houjin Dynasty.
    [Show full text]
  • The Globalization of Chinese Food ANTHROPOLOGY of ASIA SERIES Series Editor: Grant Evans, University Ofhong Kong
    The Globalization of Chinese Food ANTHROPOLOGY OF ASIA SERIES Series Editor: Grant Evans, University ofHong Kong Asia today is one ofthe most dynamic regions ofthe world. The previously predominant image of 'timeless peasants' has given way to the image of fast-paced business people, mass consumerism and high-rise urban conglomerations. Yet much discourse remains entrenched in the polarities of 'East vs. West', 'Tradition vs. Change'. This series hopes to provide a forum for anthropological studies which break with such polarities. It will publish titles dealing with cosmopolitanism, cultural identity, representa­ tions, arts and performance. The complexities of urban Asia, its elites, its political rituals, and its families will also be explored. Dangerous Blood, Refined Souls Death Rituals among the Chinese in Singapore Tong Chee Kiong Folk Art Potters ofJapan Beyond an Anthropology of Aesthetics Brian Moeran Hong Kong The Anthropology of a Chinese Metropolis Edited by Grant Evans and Maria Tam Anthropology and Colonialism in Asia and Oceania Jan van Bremen and Akitoshi Shimizu Japanese Bosses, Chinese Workers Power and Control in a Hong Kong Megastore WOng Heung wah The Legend ofthe Golden Boat Regulation, Trade and Traders in the Borderlands of Laos, Thailand, China and Burma Andrew walker Cultural Crisis and Social Memory Politics of the Past in the Thai World Edited by Shigeharu Tanabe and Charles R Keyes The Globalization of Chinese Food Edited by David Y. H. Wu and Sidney C. H. Cheung The Globalization of Chinese Food Edited by David Y. H. Wu and Sidney C. H. Cheung UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I PRESS HONOLULU Editorial Matter © 2002 David Y.
    [Show full text]
  • Examination of Urban Landscape Aesthetics Through Mapping Using Geotagged Social Media Data from Flickr
    Current Urban Studies, 2021, 9, 66-82 https://www.scirp.org/journal/cus ISSN Online: 2328-4919 ISSN Print: 2328-4900 Examination of Urban Landscape Aesthetics through Mapping Using Geotagged Social Media Data from Flickr Wantong Zhao*, Wei Han School of Humanities and Arts, Xidian University, Xi’an, China How to cite this paper: Zhao, W. T., & Han, Abstract W. (2021). Examination of Urban Landscape Aesthetics through Mapping Using Geo- Landscapes are part of the earth’s surface, and include terrestrial, aquatic, tagged Social Media Data from Flickr. Cur- natural, and anthropogenic features with differing dominance. The evaluation rent Urban Studies, 9, 66-82. of Landscape Aesthetics (LA) and scenery is helpful for the understanding https://doi.org/10.4236/cus.2021.91005 landscapes. The mapping of LA is increasingly being recognized in urban and Received: December 11, 2020 landscape planning. Examining the flow and capacity of LA is an essential Accepted: February 6, 2021 element in understanding the sustainability of urban landscapes. An explicit Published: February 9, 2021 methodological approach was proposed for mapping LA using social media data (geolocated photographs) from Flickr to study the spatial distribution of Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. LA in Xi’an, China. The LA flow and LA capacity were conceptually distin- This work is licensed under the Creative guished and assessed. The LA flow was analyzed with 10,278 geotagged pho- Commons Attribution International tographs from Flickr to express people’s actual appreciation of LA. The LA License (CC BY 4.0). capacity was examined by spatial criterion evaluation, combined the weight of http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access landscape features.
    [Show full text]
  • A Geographic History of Song-Dynasty Chan Buddhism: the Decline of the Yunmen Lineage
    decline of the yunmen lineage Asia Major (2019) 3d ser. Vol. 32.1: 113-60 jason protass A Geographic History of Song-Dynasty Chan Buddhism: The Decline of the Yunmen Lineage abstract: For a century during China’s Northern Song era, the Yunmen Chan lineage, one of several such regional networks, rose to dominance in the east and north and then abruptly disappeared. Whereas others suggested the decline was caused by a doctri- nal problem, this essay argues that the geopolitics of the Song–Jin wars were the pri- mary cause. The argument builds upon a dataset of Chan abbots gleaned from Flame Records. A chronological series of maps shows that Chan lineages were regionally based. Moreover, Song-era writers knew of regional differences among Chan lin- eages and suggested that regionalism was part of Chan identity: this corroborates my assertion. The essay turns to local gazetteers and early-Southern Song texts that re- cord the impacts of the Song–Jin wars on monasteries in regions associated with the Yunmen lineage. Finally, I consider reasons why the few Yunmen monks who sur- vived into the Southern Song did not reconstitute their lineage, and discuss a small group of Yunmen monks who endured in north China under Jin and Yuan control. keywords: Chan, Buddhism, geographic history, mapping, spatial data n 1101, the recently installed emperor Huizong 徽宗 (r. 1100–1126) I authored a preface for a new collection of Chan 禪 religious biogra- phies, Record of the Continuation of the Flame of the Jianzhong Jingguo Era (Jianzhong Jingguo xudeng lu 建中靖國續燈錄, hereafter Continuation of the Flame).1 The emperor praised the old “five [Chan] lineages, each ex- celling in a family style 五宗各擅家風,” a semimythical system promul- gated by the Chan tradition itself to assert a shared identity among the ramifying branches of master-disciple relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • Summer 2016 Cultural Trip in Xi'an (Group 2)
    Summer 2016 Cultural Trip in Xi’An (Group 2) July 2 2 -24, 2016 Table of Contents I. Itinerary II. What to Bring III. What to Expect Hotel location & contact information Destination Information • Big Wild Goose Pagoda • Museum of the Terra Cotta Army • Huaqing Hot Springs • Bell Tower and Drum Tower • Shaanxi History Museum Safety in the Xi’An • Most commonly encountered crimes and scams - Tea Scam - Art House scam - Beggars & garbage collectors • Passport and cash safety • Avoiding “black cabs” and other taxi safety IV. Emergency Information Staff and Tour Guide Contact Emergency Facility Locations 1 I. ITINERARY Please note: Schedule intended for general reference only; activities may be subject to change. Please note that you should bring or plan for all meals with an asterisk. Friday, July 22 Morning Group 2 10:00 Pick up at Jinqiao Residence Hall *Breakfast on your own (on the bus)! 13:30 Plane Departs Shanghai Pudong Airport Afternoon 16:15 Arrive at Xianyang Airport, then get on a bus to Hotel Evening Free time. Suggest visiting the Drum and Bell Tower, and the Muslim Quarter (15-minute walk from Hotel) Saturday, July 23 Morning 07:00 Breakfast at hotel 08:00 Visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda 10:00 Depart for Lintong 11:00 *Lunch on your own Afternoon 12:30 Visit the Huaqing Hot Springs 14:30 Visit the Terra Cotta Army 17:00 Return to Xi’An Evening 18:00 Dinner 19:00 Bus to Hotel Sunday, July 24 Morning 07:00 Breakfast at hotel, Check out 08:00 Depart for Shaanxi History Museum 09:00 Visit Shaanxi History Museum 11:30 Bus to Xianyang Airport Afternoon 12:30 *Lunch on your own (at Xianyang Airport) Group 2 15:00 Plane departs Xianyang Airport Evening 17:15 Arrive at Pudong Airport 18:00 Bus to Jinqiao Residence Hall 2 II.
    [Show full text]
  • MONASTERIES and MONARCHS -- Xuanzang, 618-632 CE
    MONASTERIES AND MONARCHS -- Xuanzang, 618-632 CE Into the lush fields along the Yellow River fled two young brothers, Anticipating the decay of the Sui dynasty, he buried himself in the Buddhist monks. Abandoning their monastery they set out from study of his books. Many offers of provincial and district offices Luoyang, the eastern imperial capital, for Chang’an [Xi’an], 200 miles were pressed on him, which he persistently refused; he declined all upstream. There, according to rumor, a prince and an army maintained magisterial duties on the plea of ill-health…3 A order. China in 618 CE was no place for peaceful Buddhist monks. Xuanzang grew up reading classical texts under the guidance of his Around them, the brothers witnessed the final collapse of the Sui father. His older brother became a Buddhist monk, and when he noticed dynasty. Decades later, one of the brothers, Xuanzang, described this Xuanzang was “deeply given to the study of religious doctrine,” he took time to his biographer: “The magistrates were destroyed and... [monks] him to his monastery at the imperial capital of Luoyang and taught him either perished or took to flight. The streets were filled with bleached the basics of Buddhism, Xuanzang entered this monastery at age bones and the burnt ruins of buildings. At this time the books of thirteen. He studied, listened, and meditated until forced to flee seven Confucius and the sacred pages of Buddha were forgotten, everyone years later.4 was occupied with the arts of war.”1 Buddhism was already 1,000 years old at the time of Xuanzang.
    [Show full text]