The Profound Connection Between Temple Culture and Color

Temple culture is rich with imagery, and this imagery is deeply intertwined with color, carrying profound cultural and religious significance.

Architectural Exterior Colors and Imagery

Yellow

In temple architecture, yellow is often used on walls and other surfaces. In traditional Chinese culture, yellow symbolizes royalty and nobility. In Buddhist culture, it represents the transcendent nature of the Buddha. For example, at the Yonghe Temple in Beijing, some of the walls are yellow, creating a solemn, sacred, and majestic atmosphere. This use of yellow reflects the temple's revered status in the religion—as noble as royalty—while also alluding to the goal of transcending the mundane world as taught in Buddhist doctrine. It guides followers to leave behind worldly troubles and walk the path toward enlightenment and liberation.

Red

The gates and columns of temples are often painted red. In Chinese culture, red represents good fortune and prosperity, and it is also believed to ward off evil spirits. From the perspective of temple culture, the red gate acts as a boundary, separating the secular world from the pure land of the temple. It welcomes devotees with auspicious meaning while protecting the sacred space with its power to repel evil. For instance, at the many temples on Mount Wutai in Shanxi, the red columns and gates create a strong visual impact while conveying a sense of stability, peace, and sacred inviolability. This inspires a feeling of reverence in the hearts of devotees as they enter.

Gray

Gray is commonly seen in the roof tiles of temples. It is a calm and reserved color that aligns with the tranquility and simplicity valued in temple culture. Without the vibrancy of brighter colors, its understated presence blends into the natural surroundings, symbolizing the temple's ability to maintain inner peace and detachment in a bustling world. In the Jiangnan region, for example, the gray tiles of some temples, set against white walls and green trees, create a serene and secluded ambiance. This helps visitors instantly feel a sense of calm, allowing them to forget worldly distractions and focus on inner cultivation and understanding the Dharma.

Religious Artifact Colors and Imagery

Gold

Buddha statues and ritual instruments in temples are often gold. Gold represents light, wisdom, and the infinite merits of the Buddha. The golden radiance emanating from a Buddha statue symbolizes the Dharma shining like the sun, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and guiding all beings toward light and wisdom. The Leshan Giant Buddha, for instance, gleams brilliantly in the sunlight. Its golden form not only displays the solemn divinity of the Buddha but also allows devotees to feel the immense power and compassion of the Dharma. This inspires reverence and the aspiration to attain the precious, gold-like wisdom of enlightenment through practice.

Black

Some religious scriptures and wooden fish instruments are black. In the context of temple culture, black represents solemnity and depth. The black covers of scriptures convey a sense of gravitas, suggesting the profound and extensive nature of Buddhist teachings, which require a respectful and focused attitude from the reader. The wooden fish, typically black, is used during chanting and other rituals. The sound it produces seems to cut through the noise of the secular world, guiding practitioners into a deep state of meditation, helping them concentrate on their inner understanding of the Dharma and shut out external distractions.

Garden Landscape Colors and Imagery

Green

The trees and vegetation in temple gardens are predominantly green. Green is the primary color of nature and symbolizes life and hope in temple culture. It also represents the compassion of the Dharma, which nourishes all living things, much like nature itself. The green plants in a temple not only create a peaceful and serene environment but also symbolize how followers, nurtured by the Dharma, can grow strong like plants and achieve spiritual renewal and hope. At Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, for example, the temple is surrounded by green mountains and filled with lush trees. This green landscape complements the architecture, allowing visitors to experience the tranquility of nature while feeling the life-giving power and vitality of the Dharma.

White

White may be found on stones, walls, and decorations in temple gardens. White symbolizes purity and cleanliness. In the temple environment, white stones or decorative walls signify that the temple is a pure land, untainted by the secular world. It also serves as a reminder to practitioners to maintain a pure heart, eliminate defilements such as greed, anger, and ignorance, and achieve a state of spiritual clarity—as untarnished as the color white—in order to grasp the true meaning of the Dharma.