Dafo Temple Great Buddha Hall Murals

CHINA, Gansu, Zhangye; Ming dynasty

In the Great Buddha Hall of Dafo Temple, there are 31 colored statues. The central figure is the large reclining Sakyamuni Buddha, with the Ten Great Disciples in mourning behind him. In front of the north and south walls there are statues of the Eighteen Arhats. Murals painted on the walls behind the statues take up approximately 330 sq m of surface area. They include images of the Buddha and his disciples, Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings, the Buddha teaching the Dharma, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and scenes from Master Xuanzang’s Journey to Obtain the Sutras, all illustrated in fluid lines and pale colors. An attendant Bodhisattva is painted next to the reclining Buddha statue. The Bodhisattva wears a crown and a fluttering silk stole, and holds the stem of a flower in raised hands. The illustrations of Master Xuanzang’s Journey to Obtain the Sutras are made up of a number of independent scenes. In the background, there are mist-shrouded mountains, strange rock formations, towering ancient trees, and a rushing creek. The story is vividly depicted with over 40 distinct figures.