Tianwang Dian

E282158

Tianwang Dian is a main entrance hall in many Chinese Buddhist temples, dedicated to the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the Dharma.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Tianwang Dian canonical 1

Statements (38)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Buddhist temple hall
religious building space
accessedBy main temple gate
architecturalPosition in front of Mahavira Hall
near temple entrance
associatedConcept guarding the temple
protection of the Dharma
associatedDeityGroup Lokapalas
surface form: Lokapalas (Four Heavenly Kings)
contains altars for protective deities
incense offerings area
statues of the Four Heavenly Kings placed along the sides or back
culturalContext Han Chinese temple architecture
dedicatedTo Four Heavenly Kings
etymology "Dian" means "hall" in Chinese
Four Heavenly Kings
surface form: "Tianwang" means "Heavenly Kings" in Chinese
foundInCountry China
foundInRegion East Asia
hasAlternativeEnglishName Hall of Heavenly Kings
Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings
hasFunction main entrance hall of Chinese Buddhist temples
space for veneration of protective deities
hasNameInChinese Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings
surface form: 天王殿
hasOrientation faces temple courtyard or main axis
housesDeity Four Heavenly Kings
Maitreya Buddha statue
surface form: Maitreya Buddha statue (often)

Skanda (Weituo) Bodhisattva statue (often)
influencedBy Buddhist cosmology of guardian kings
languageOfName Chinese
locatedTypicallyIn Chinese Buddhist temple complex
partOf standard Chinese Buddhist temple layout
religiousAffiliation Mahayana
surface form: Mahayana Buddhism
religiousTradition Chinese Buddhism
roleInRitual first worship space when entering temple
roleInSymbolism threshold between secular world and sacred space
typicalDecoration inscribed plaques with protective phrases
murals or paintings of guardian deities
typicalStructure single-story hall
wooden beam-frame construction

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Heavenly Kings Hall alsoKnownAs Tianwang Dian