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| Chinese Pattra Scripture | |
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| Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China |
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| Theravāda Buddhism | ||||||||
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TheChinese Pattra Scripture (Chinese: 中國貝葉經; pinyin:Zhōngguó bèiyè jīng), also known as theSipsongpanna Pattra Buddhist Canon, refers to a large body of palm-leaf manuscripts preserved among theDai people ofXishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture,Yunnan Province, China. These manuscripts represent one of the most significant collections ofTheravāda texts in China and are closely related to manuscript traditions ofSoutheast Asia, particularlyThailand,Laos, andMyanmar.[1]
The pattra (Sanskrit: पत्त्र; Pali: patta), or palm-leaf manuscript, was a primary medium for the transmission of Buddhist scriptures in South and Southeast Asia. The tradition reached Xishuangbanna through cultural exchange between the Dai kingdoms and neighboring Lanna and Burmese polities during the late medieval period.[2] Local monasteries became centers of copying, recitation, and preservation, with manuscripts often commissioned by lay donors seeking merit.
The Pattra Scriptures in Xishuangbanna contain a wide range of texts:
Manuscripts are written on dried palm leaves, cut into oblong folios, and inscribed with a stylus. The incised letters are then blackened with soot or lacquer. Wooden covers, sometimes gilded or painted with protective deities, enclose the manuscripts. The use ofgold ink in some ceremonial manuscripts highlights their ritual and aesthetic importance.[3]
The manuscripts are integral to the practice of Dai Buddhism in Xishuangbanna. They are housed in monastic libraries (ho trai), read during festivals such as theWater-Splashing Festival, and used in rituals for merit-making and communal instruction.[4] Their continued preservation underscores the deep connection between the Dai cultural identity and Theravāda Buddhism.
Today, collections of Chinese Pattra Scriptures are preserved in local monasteries and museums in Xishuangbanna. Digitization projects, often in collaboration with Thai and Lao institutions, aim to preserve the fragile manuscripts for future study. UNESCO has recognized portions of the Dai palm-leaf collections as part of China’s documentary heritage.[5]