The Jingshan Temple

The Jingshan Temple, founded during the Tianbao period (742-756) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has a history of over 1,200 years and is considered one of the oldest sites where Chan Buddhism (Zen in Japanese) and tea ceremony were born.  

The temple was inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation List in 2011 and the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2022. 
In 2016, major restoration and reconstruction work began on the central hall and courtyards, while the building's façade, landscape and interior lighting were upgraded. 

iGuzzini luminaires were used exclusively in the interiors, mainly in the Lingxiao Tower, where there are three wooden statues of Buddha (Trikala Buddhas) illuminated by Palco floodlights; in the Kwan-yin temple, where there is a very large wooden statue of ‘Kwan - yin with a thousand arms’ in the centre, also illuminated by Palco, and also the Kwan - yin ( (the deity of Compassion) altar area where are together, all her representations. 

Part of the iGuzzini intervention concerned an area of the Lingxiao Tower (2F) that is not usually open to visitors. In the centre of this all-wood hall is a tabernacle housing three statues of Buddha illuminated by recessed Laser Blade L, surrounded by many other wooden sculptures of “Kwan - yin with a thousand arms” lit by floodlights Palco MV on tracks. The effect achieved in the hall is that of several layers of lighting that accentuate the three-dimensionality of the space.

The lighting design was guided by concepts related to the Zen culture of tea and oriental aesthetics. The design adheres to the concepts of ‘nothingness, emptiness and truth’, creating a light that is intended to convey ‘warmth, calm, introspection and simplicity’.  

The lighting design was based on the overall functional layout of the temple, divided into:   
1. ‘Buddha Light’, which concerns the central axis of the temple hall for which three different lighting scenarios were created: one dedicated to the worshipers praying and offering incense to obtain blessings, one for ceremonies and one specifically for pujas; 
2. ‘Zen illumination’, which affects the side rooms used for meditation, sutra copying, tea tasting, calligraphy and painting. Two lighting scenarios have been created in this area.  
 
3. ‘Communication and Living’ designed for the peripheral buildings intended mainly for reception, communication, and daily needs; in these areas a single lighting scenario based on diffuse lighting was created.    

The iGuzzini luminaires were able to emphasise the material from which the sculptures are made, wood, and also to emphasise the refinement of its workmanship. 
In general, the lighting colour temperature used is 2700K and 3000K, and seen the different kind of spaces, were used different kind of optics: Spot, Medium and Flood.
We can consider for example the lighting scheme used for the faces of Buddha sculptures; before flood light was used, but then we add some spotlight to avoid shadows. 
Other important characteristic, thanks to their small size and special brown finish, the products were able to blend in with the aesthetics of the ancient architecture.