Longxing Monastery, revolving sutra pavilion  隆興寺轉輪藏閣

Building Information

The Longxing Monastery Zhuanlunzang Pavilion (Zhuanlun zangge 轉輪藏閣) is a two-story pavilion, named after the revolving cabinet for storing Buddhist scriptures (zhuanlunzang 轉輪藏) inside. The Zhuanlunzang Pavilion is located on the west side of the courtyard in front of the Dabei Pavilion, facing east. The building is three bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-bay wide roofed portico (described as either baosha 抱厦 or fujie 副階) along the front (Guo 2009, 380-85; Hebei sheng Zhengding xian wenwu baoguansuo 2000, 15-16). It adopts a single-eaves, nine-ridge (jiuji 九脊), roof and both upper and lower pillars display upward curvature (shengqi 生起) and inward incline (cejiao 侧脚). The roof design is described as falling between the diange 殿閣 and tingtang 廳堂 styles as described in Yingzao Fashi 營造法式 (Guo 2009, 380-85). There are three types of pillars used, including the portico pillars (fujiezhu 副階柱), eaves pillars (yanzhu 檐柱), and inner pillars (neizhu 内柱), all of which are circular. The pillars are supported by simple upturned basin-style bases 素覆盆式柱礎 (Zhengdingxian wenwu baoguansuo 2000, 15-16).2

In the center of the lower level of this pavilion is a timber revolving sutra or perhaps “Tripitaka” (Sanzang 三藏) cabinet (zhuanlunzang 轉輪藏), which is a rotating bookshelf for sacred texts. It appears to have been built in accordance with the guidelines for revolving scripture cabinets 轉輪經藏 as described in the small woodwork (xiaomuzuo 小木作) section in the Yingzao Fashi 營造法式 (1103) (Zhengdingxian wenwu baoguansuo 2000, 15-6). Its plan is a regular octagon, with a pivot set at the center. A frame is built into the large wooden structure of the building to secure the position of the pivot. When pushed from the bottom, the revolving cabinet can rotate freely (Guo 2009, 380-85). This is a rare extant example of small woodwork from the Song Dynasty (Zhengdingxian wenwu baoguansuo 2000, 15-16).2

隆興寺轉輪藏閣是一座二層樓閣，以內部收藏經文的轉輪藏而得名。轉輪藏閣位於大悲閣的西南側，朝向東。建築寬度為三開間，進深為三開間，前部帶有抱廈/副階 (郭 2009， 380-85；河北省正定縣文物保管所 2000，15-16) 。建築採用單簷九脊頂，上下層柱子均帶有生起和侧脚。屋頂形式介於《營造法式》所定的殿閣與廳堂之間（郭 2009，380-85）。對於柱子的使用分為三種，包括副階柱、檐柱和內柱，均為圓形。柱子下方均使用素覆盆式柱基來支撐（河北省正定縣文物保管所 2000，15-16）。2

此閣的底層正中央放置了一個木製轉輪藏，即一個用於收藏經文的旋轉書架。該書架是根據宋代的《營造法式》中關於轉輪藏的制度所建造的（河北省正定縣文物保管所 2000，15-16）。平面呈現正八邊形，中心設有軸心，上端搭建在建築的大木結構上，限定了軸心的位置。當受到推動力時，底端便可旋轉（郭 2009，380-85）。這座轉輪藏堪稱是宋代小木作中的稀有文物（河北省正定縣文物保管所 2000，15-16）。2