Shanxi Mural Paintings
By admin on 2014-12-29

Mural painting is like an inexhaustible encyclopedia, and Shanxi Province boasts the most abundant mural paintings in China, second only to the Dunhuang Mural in Gansu Province. Shanxi has mural paintings that could date back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). The following dynasties from the Northern Dynasty (220-580) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) also witnessed the style's development. The styles of Shanxi murals in different phases not only embody the painting characteristics of various periods, but also have a certain value for artistic, social and religious research.

Most of the Han murals were painted on the walls of tombs, and deal with the prevailing custom of filial piety and buryialwith full honors, which the ruling class eagerly promoted. Many aristocrats’ graves are of considerable size, reflecting the political, economic and institutional systems that time. The Pinglu mural in Shanxi is representative of Han murals.

The Northern Dynasty preserved the custom of tomb mural painting. With the development of communications and the rise of Buddhism, the themes of the mural paintings at this time were more or less related to Buddhism. The artist of the Lourui Tomb in Shanxi was also affected in this way.

The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) had the vastest territory in Chinese history. Known as the "belly" of the Yuan Dynasty, Shanxi has a number of exquisite Yuan temple murals of about 1800 m2. Murals of Yongle Palace in Ruicheng City, Shanxi Province, are the essence of Yuan temple murals.

In the days after the Ming Dynasty, mural paintings were rarely recorded in books. Temple murals had already come to an end. However, Shanxi murals still preserve some excellent works, such as Jiyi Temple in Xinjiang County and Goddess Temple in Fenyang County.