As images of Zen Buddhist dances appear, moving to the music on the walls of the National History Museum, the feeling of Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty becomes much closer to the public. These images are part of the thematic exhibition "Zen Buddhist Dances - Buddhist Art of the Ly Dynasty: Heritage and Technology," organized by the museum and the Institute for Asian Civilization Studies.
Dr. Nguyen Van Doan, Director of the National Museum of History, said that the exhibition features representative artifacts, selected from the collection of Buddhist heritage from the Ly Dynasty currently preserved here, containing the most distinctive values of Buddhist art from that period. These include architectural artifacts bearing royal imprints, or images of dancing fairies decorating the base of a model pagoda made of white glazed ceramic (12th-13th century).
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Doan, the exhibition also includes interpretations and presentations using 3D mapping, hologram, and digital revival techniques to recreate heritage, providing viewers with a more engaging and profound experience. The exhibition features clips about architecture, rotating images of artifacts, and even a dance believed to be from Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty.
The dance is "extracted" from the foundation stone.
Recreating "static" artifacts into moving stories is nothing new to Associate Professor Bui Minh Tri, Director of the Institute for Asian Civilization Studies. When he was Director of the Institute for Imperial City Studies, he once recounted the story of the hobby of keeping pet birds in Thang Long Imperial Citadel through images after the birdcage artifact was discovered by archaeologists.
The dance was recreated.
PHOTO: TRINH NGUYEN
Of course, the aforementioned images are not naturally occurring or "fabricated" by experts. Mr. Tri's depiction of the dance is based on images from artifacts from the Ly Dynasty. These include a stone pedestal (1057) at Phat Tich Pagoda (Bac Ninh), with four sides decorated with images of people playing music, along with images of offering flowers to Buddha in a Buddhist ceremony. On each side, there are people playing drums, playing the two-stringed fiddle, flute, zither, castanets, plucking cymbals, playing the pipa, moon lute, blowing the flute, and beating the drum... Or images from the stone statue of Kinnari playing drums (1057) also at the same pagoda. This statue, a mythical creature in Buddhism and Hinduism, symbolizes stars, beauty, music , and art…
These images, according to researchers, represent the pinnacle of carving art, reflecting the flourishing development of Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty and serving as valuable documentation of Buddhist rituals and the lives of contemporary inhabitants.
Regarding the exhibited artifacts, Associate Professor Bui Minh Tri assessed: "The artistic heritage of the Ly Dynasty, from the architecture of temples and pagodas with their soft, graceful lines like flying dragons, to the Buddha statues with their gentle and compassionate beauty, all are imbued with the simple yet profound spirit of Zen Buddhism, while also reflecting the subtle absorption and blending of influences from Champa art, and especially from the Dai Viet civilization with neighboring countries to the North."
Mr. Tri also spoke about Buddhist music and dance during the Ly Dynasty: "During the Ly Dynasty, Buddhism was the national religion, and music and dance became means of spreading doctrines and performing rituals; musical instruments and melodies were influenced by major cultures such as India and China, but were deeply Vietnamized. Buddhist ceremonies were solemnly organized with dignified music under the patronage of the court."
According to experts, Buddhist music and dance during the Ly Dynasty was a unique blend of court music traditions and religious ritual practices. "However, this invaluable intangible cultural heritage has not yet received systematic and in-depth research investment commensurate with its historical significance and cultural value," said Associate Professor Bui Minh Tri.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lung-linh-vu-khuc-thien-mon-thoi-ly-185250516231024001.htm
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