Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t23.4

v1.c7.s3.t23.4

The whole complex of Samye Monastery is surrounded by a circular wall symbolising the periphery of the world in Buddhism. The gates at the four cardinal points and the eastern gate leads to the front entrance of the hall. All of the layers of the three-storey main temple follow different architectural styles, the bottom Tibetan, the middle Han and the top Indian. Statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in three layers reflect different cultural features in three regions. For example, statues in the first layer imitates the image of Tibetan, the second layer Han people of Tang Dynasty and in the third layer, Indian. It is actually a grand multi-cultural Buddhist monastery.