Jingxin Temple Murals

CHINA, Shanxi, Jinzhong; Qing dynasty

Jingxin Temple was first built in 713 during the Tang dynasty (618–907), but the surviving architecture was mostly constructed between 1506 and 1566 during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Murals are painted in the Hall of the Three Buddhas and the Vairocana Hall.
In the Hall of the Three Buddhas, stories from the Life of the Buddha are painted in narrative murals beginning on the east wall and ending on the west wall. Each story is identified by a four character inscription within a cartouche in the top corner. The murals are illustrated with an orderly layout and simple, elegant colors. Against the vast backgrounds, the architecture and human figures appear relatively small.
There are murals on the side walls and most of the back wall in the Vairocana Hall. The side walls feature 51 illustrations of the Water and Land Dharma Service, each identified by an inscription. In each scene there are three to seven figures, each around 35 cm to 57 cm high.