Abstract

This qualitative investigation analyzes the relationship between Guanyin culture and religious statues in different periods through on-site investigation on Mount Putuo. Data were gathered from documentary review and field investigation. The results show that the art of Guanyin is the expression of Guanyin culture in material form. The absorption and transformation of Guanyin statue art and Guanyin culture are not relative, but mutual: the art influences the belief, and the belief influences the art. Before people started creating Guanyin statues, the belief in Guanyin culture already existed. However, modern Guanyin statue art is a tangible manifestation of Guanyin cultural belief that also promotes the prosperity and development of culture and economy in the Zhoushan area. The research concludes that the maintenance of Mount Putuo and the continued construction of iconography is vital to ensure the preservation of Guanyin belief in modern society.