The two extant

Taying Fu

from Yongle Period are

Linggu Temple Taying Fu

by Gao Deyang and

Taying Fu

by Zheng Tang

both of which were eulogies of the grand Buddhist event held in Linggu Temple in the 5

th

year of Yongle Period. The mystery of Taying (tower shadow) in the writing of

Fu

came from the optical phenomenon of pinhole imaging. With the decoration of secretive and mysterious Tibetan Buddhist concepts and the glorification of literary description

the strange tower shadow phenomenon

which was originally uncertain in interpretation as an indication of good or bad luck

was shaped as a perfect auspicious sign of the emperor acting according to heaven’s principles

whose filial piety generated the auspicious sign

in order to achieve Emperor Zhu Di's political purpose of strengthening imperial power and establishing his legitimacy of rule. Religious factors played an important role in the generation of the auspicious sign of tower shadow. The interaction and collision between such religious factors and literature helped to complete the transfer of divinity

and the image of Zhu Di as a divine emperor was gradually established

which also affected the theme and characters in the writing of literature in the early Ming Dynasty. The auspicious tower shadow vividly embodied the theme of emperor praising and the trend of positive comments in the literature of Yongle Period.