Emperor Qianlong

CHINA; Qing dynasty

Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795), also known as Emperor Gaozong, was the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was born Aisin Gioro Hongli, the fourth son of Emperor Yongzheng (reigned 1722–1735). Emperor Qianlong was an extremely capable leader and ruled the dynasty with determination and dedication, resulting in his reign being one of the most flourishing periods of the Qing dynasty. During his reign, he greatly respected Buddhism and issued an edict to translate the Manchu Canon.
Emperor Qianlong was well-versed in various disciplines including calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. In his later years, he referred to himself as Old Man of Ten Perfections. He composed calligraphy for horizontal inscribed boards at many temples and produced several copies of the Heart Sutra. One such sutra copy, in running, regular, and cursive scripts, is kept at White Stupa in Miaoying Temple in Beijing. Another Heart Sutra, in running script, is currently kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The stele carving, Thoughts on Jade Belt at Jinshan Temple, can be found on the Stele Wall at Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.