Grandhanras on Roof

Ting Yu

1. Director of art for Grandhanras(flying celestial beings): Mr. Jeff Hsu
2. Grandhanras design team: Mr. Du Yongwei , deputy director of the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts of the Dunhuang Academy in China
   (1)Guan Xiang art gallery: Mr. Jeff Hsu
   (2)Dunhuang Academy : Mr. Du Yongwei, deputy director of the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts, the chief designer of the Grandhanras project.
   Mr. Du Yongwei is the key designer of the Grandhanras. He had studied the art of Dunhuang for more than 20 years. He had traveled to India to study Buddhist art, and had studied in Japan specializing in sculpture.  Mr. Du Yongwei specializes in drawing and sculpturing, and has studied Buddhist art and thought. His unique experience makes him one of the outstanding Chinese artists. 
3. Director-general of the Grandhanras sculpturing project: Mr. Zhu Weijing (President of Changsha College of Sculpture in Hunan province, China)
   Mr. Zhu is a very famous Chinese artist, known for Buddhist sculptures. When he was young, he had worked at Tow-or temple in Qing-hai province and dedicated himself to Buddhist art research. Moreover, he also specializes in studies of ethnic minorities in China and in other places around the world. Because of Mr. Zhu, the 362 Grandhanras have correct features, body proportions, and the expressions of different races.
4. Cupronickel casting research group: Mr. Chen Zhenbo,   an expert on copper casting, factory director of Yufeng Metal Crafts Factory in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, China 
   Mr. Chen received a salary from the China government for his expertise. He is an expert on copper casting. The famous "big-ding" in memory of the return of Macao and Hong Kong is produced by his factory. 
   Mr. Chen is the key person in casting the Grandhanras. During the construction, he led 500 to 600 people who worked around the clock for eight months, including weekends.
   Mr. Chen’s resolve was amazing. To do the casting job, he converted the new two-story tall, 2600-sq.m. large dormitory of the factory into working space. Likewise, in order to assemble the wax molds, he also constructed a workshop with an area of about 3,300 square meters. Moreover, to have more working space, he also eliminated the sport yard and closed the drive lanes. He had transformed the entertainment room and the dining room into a workshop in order to conduct sand casting and modeling 
5. The overall goal of the art works of the Still Thoughts Hall 
   The directions from Master Cheng Yen.
   (1)The art design must be creative and modern
   (2The overall effect must be able to demonstrate Tzu Chi’s culture in accordance with the teachings of Lotus Sutra.
   (3)The materials being used must be durable and its weight should not exceed the limit that can be supported by the pillars. 
   (4)Since earthquakes take place in Hualien frequently. All the building installation must be firm and secure.
   After numerous experiments, the material for the bas-reliefs was decided to be cupronickel. The same material is used to produce Euro coins, and it is an alloy of 16% nickel, 83% copper, and 1% other metal such as lead and tin.
6. Several key concepts in the design of Grandhanras in the Still Thoughts Hall: 
   (1)Grandhanras are musicians and dancers who live in the Pure Land, bringing the joy of life, so the art works should present their gracefulness. Moreover, Grandhanras also serve as the guardians of buddhas a and bodhisattvas, and they should appear joyful and peaceful.
   (2)Tzu Chi missions are carried out in many places around the world. Many foreigners visit Jing Si Hall to learn about Tzu Chi. Tzu Chi volunteers also go to different countries to help the needy people. Therefore, the Grandhanras art design must encompass a global view. It should include the characteristics of different races, and the figures should be both young and old, male and female. In addition, the artworks should be vivid, realistic, and three-dimensional .
   (3)The artworks should create the atmosphere similar to the scene when the Buddha was preaching the Wonderful Lotus Sutra, with bodhisattvas and living creatures coming together, Grandhanras flying around, and flowers floating in the air. 
   (4)Sign language is an international language for communicating which can truly express Tzu Chi volunteers’minds. The Grandhanras on the top roof should illustrate Tzu Chi’s four missions and eight footprints with sign language.
7. The location of Grandhanras
   There are 362 bas-relief Grandhanras being sculptured with a total length of 1360 meters, they are installed on the triple herringbone vergeboards, the single herringbone vergeboards, and the ridges and eaves of the Still Thoughts Hall.  They were built with reference to Dunhuang frescoes and the contents of the Buddhist sutras. The works  for Grandhanras are classified into eight categories including flower- scattering Grandhanras, musical Grandhanras, dancing Grandhanras, worshipping Grandhanras, bodhisattva Grandhanras, sign-language tungtzu-Grandhanras, playful tungtzu-Grandhanras, and musical tungtzu-Grandhanras. The Grandhanras, installed on the triple herringbone vergeboards, the single herringbone vergeboards, and the ridges and eaves of the Still Thoughts Hall, run a length of 1360 meters, with 46 sets of Grandhanras forming a three-dimensional Grandhanras scene.

【South and North sides of the triple herringbone vergeboards】
Flower-scattering Grandhanras, Musical Grandhanras, Dancing Grandhanras (a total 132 works in twelve groups)
Flower scattering Grandhanras, Musical Grandhanras, and Dancing Grandhanras are located  on the beams at the Still Thoughts Hall’s North and South side. They are installed from bottom to top in three layers in accordance with "Land of Change" presented on Dunhuang frescoes。

【East and west sides of the single herringbone vergeboard】
Bodhisattva Grandhanras (a total of 36 works in in four groups )
Since ancient times, people already have their perceptions of bodhisattva. Most of the time, bodhisattva appears with a beautiful, graceful and kind expression. Tzu Chi encourages people to walk the Bodhisattva path, meaning everyone can attain enlightenment like Bodhisattvas.

【Roof vergeboard】
Metaplasia boy Grandhanras, hundred opera boy Grandhanras, playing boy Grandhanras ( a total of 122 works in fourteen groups)
Metaplasia boy Grandhanras are installed on the Still Thoughts Hall’s four side ridges. Hundred opera boy Grandhanras  and Playing boy Grandhanras are installed on the south and north ridges. The unique qualities and characteristics of modern day children have been built into the design, such as modern sports, games, and playing in school. The art works show young people of different races playing their traditional instruments.

【Eaves vergeboard】
Worshipping Grandhanras (a total of 72 works in 16 groups）
According to contents of the Buddhist sutras, worshipping Grandhanras present offerings of flowers and fruits to the Buddha. They are installed on the eaves of the Still Thoughts Hall. 。

Source: Tzu Chi Monthly journal 417