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This
statue of a hunter riding a lion is another example of the
blending of Eastern and Western art.
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| Introduction-Islamic
Presence Strong in Quanzhou |
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This
stone carving of a white elephant offering flowers to
a Shiva lingam is taken from an old Hindu tale.
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Of all religions practised in Quanzhou in those
days, Manicheism is one of the most interesting. At the foot
of Wanshi Peak to the southwest of Quanzhou there is a strange
temple, in which an eerie-looking idol with long hair is worshipped.
People believe it to be the Goddess of Mercy, however, it
is quite different from the usual image of the goddess. Local
people call the temple Cao'an (Thatched Nunnery). In fact,
the idol is a statue of a Manicheist deity.
Manicheism was founded by an Iranian named Mani (or Manichaeus)
during the third century.
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This
carving of a lion and a cobra was found among the ruins
of an Indian temple.
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Mani taught that everything in the universe
springs from the two principles of light and dark, or good and
evil. Combining elements of Christianity, Buddhism and Nestorianism,
his religion became known in China as the "Religion of Light".
It was introduced into China and grew popular in the late seventh
century during the Tang Dynasty. |
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Found
on a Nestorian tombstone, this carving shows a pair
of angels holding lotus flowers and a cross, combining
Persian, Greek and Chinese mythology.
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Several hundred years later the founder of
the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu (r. 1368-1398), issued a decree
banning the Religion of Light, because the word for "light"
in Chinese is pronounced "ming", which happened to be the name
of the Ming Dynasty and therefore was not allowed to be used
by anyone but the emperor. From that time forward Manicheism
died out in China and never returned. Cao'an Nunnery is the
only reminder of Manicheism in China left today.
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