ro of ▁and ▁the ▁extremely ▁complex ▁bra cket ▁sets ▁are ▁test ament ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁East ▁Hall ' s ▁importance ▁as ▁a ▁structure ▁during ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 1 th - century ▁architect ural ▁treat ise , ▁Y ing za o ▁F ashi , ▁the ▁Great ▁East ▁Hall ▁closely ▁corresponds ▁to ▁a ▁sevent h ▁rank ▁building ▁in ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁eight ▁ranks . ▁The ▁high ▁rank ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁East ▁Hall ▁indicates ▁that ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁building , ▁and ▁no ▁other ▁buildings ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁with ▁such ▁a ▁high ▁rank ▁surv ive . ▁ ▁Inside ▁the ▁hall ▁are ▁thirty - six ▁sculpt ures , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁mur als ▁on ▁each ▁wall ▁that ▁date ▁from ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁and ▁later ▁periods . ▁ ▁Unfortunately ▁the ▁stat ues ▁lost ▁much ▁art istic ▁value ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁rep aint ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁The ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁hall ▁has ▁a ▁platform ▁with ▁three ▁large ▁stat ues ▁of ▁Sak y am uni , ▁Am it ab ha ▁and ▁M ait re ya ▁sitting ▁on ▁lot us ▁sh aped ▁seats . ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁stat ues ▁is ▁fl ank ed ▁by ▁four ▁assist ants ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁and ▁two ▁bod his att vas ▁in ▁front . ▁Next ▁to ▁the ▁platform , ▁there ▁are ▁stat ues ▁of ▁Man jus ri ▁r iding ▁a ▁l ion ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Sam ant ab had ra ▁on