Palace of Eleven-face Kwan-yin in Dali

Palace of Eleven-face Kwan-yin in Dali

The Palace of Eleven-face Huan-yin is a Ming style building of five open rooms with double eaves, in which was oblated a nine meter high statue of Eleven-face Kwan-yin and eight embodiments of Kwan-yin (standing and seated statues of 4 meter high).

Kwan-yin (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva)
Kwan-yin：Kwan-yin is the abbreviation of Kuan-shiyin, which is also translated as Kuan-shiyin, Kuan-zizai. To respect the Emperor of Li Shimin in Tang Dynasty, it was abbreviated as Kwan-yin. The duty of Kwan-yin is to save all the suffered and help them to get relief. He was respected as " The Buddha of Great Mercy and Save of the Suffered" Kwan-yin, Mahastamaprapta and Amitabha Buddha were called "Three Saints of the West". Kwan-yin's Bodhimanda or site of enlightenment is on the Putuo Mountain. Kwan-yin at the beginning was a "kind male and mighty husband" wearing mustache with manly feature. In the time after the South-north Dynasty, he was a man of female feature with tadpole like beard. After Song Dynasty he was feminized, in the figure of a rich and graceful lady with a dignified feature. It was said there were "Six Kwan-yin, thirty-three Kwan-yin, thirty-three embodiments".

The worship to Kwan-yin in the time of Dali state and Nanzhao had a long history with rich local folk culture. 78 statue of Bodhisattva were unearthed from the three pagodas while 58 statue of Kwan-yin were unearthed. Of the 136 pages "Picture Roll by Zhang Shengwen", 21 are related with Kwan-yin, accounting 1/7.

The belief of Kwan-yin was deeply rooted in people's mind in the Dali Area, the worship to whom overwhelmed that to Buddha. The theories of "Kwan-yin Establishing the Country", "Kwan-yin Missionizing" and "Kwan-yin Saving" show the relationship of Kwan-yin with Dali people.

On the lattice gate of the Palace of Eleven-face Kwan-yin was engraved "the Eighteen Embodiments of Kwan-yin" from "Cause and Result of Bai State". It was cut in details with pictures and words, which is no less than a treasure.

Eleven-face Kwan-yin has eleven faces in five layers. The first angry face, converting evil to affection, the second face is kind, adding affection to kindness, the third face is silent, guiding converting. The three faces guiding the three realms, thus makes nine faces. The tenth face is laughing, meaning the guiding needs great majesty and strong will to achieve to goal and to avoid mistakes. The last face is the place of Buddha, meaning Complete of Blessedness. It was said in the Tianbao Battle, Kwan-yin told Ge Luofeng in his dream to cast statue of Eleven-face Kwan-yin. They defeated the enemies and saved Nanzhao State.

The Eight Embodiments of Kwan-yin are:
Kuan-Shiyin Bodhisattva of Saving the Suffered, the Kwan-yin Bodhisattva of Relieving Complains, Kuan-Shiyin Bodhisattva of Saving, Kwan-yin of Pumen, Kwan-yin Yichang, Kwan-yin Nanwu, Kwan-yin of Putuo Mountain, Kwan-yin of Establishing the State.