Faded Paintings and Folk Beliefs｜Yuxian County · Exploring Ming and Qing Dynasty Murals

🌟 Yuxian County: The Mural Gallery on the Loess Plateau

📜 A small town hidden in the folds of the Loess Plateau, yet it holds a treasure trove of murals that even experts from the Forbidden City admire! Yuxian, formerly known as Qiuyou, was the site of the Qiuyou Kingdom established by the Baidi people during the Spring and Autumn period. Many small temples in Yuxian’s villages preserve numerous Ming and Qing dynasty murals. Selecting a few typical examples, they are truly impressive!

🖌️【Zhulong Temple Murals】 (Photos 8-12)
On the weathered walls of Zhulong Temple, there is a celestial feast painted by a Ming dynasty artist. Twenty-eight Dragon Kings, accompanied by shrimp soldiers and crab generals, attend the Peach Banquet. Ocean wave patterns intertwine with auspicious clouds, as if you can hear the sound of the waves. The most magical is the “Dragon King Summoning Rain” mural, where dark clouds are shaded with light ink wash, and the raindrops are outlined with silver powder—stare long enough, and you might feel raindrops falling on your face. (Tip: Remember to bring a flashlight to illuminate the details hidden in the shadows!)

⚔️【Guan Di Temple Murals】 (Photos 5-7)
Here unfolds the most vivid stories of the Three Kingdoms. The door god Zhou Cang’s beard is depicted strand by strand, and the reflection on the Green Dragon Crescent Blade is made with shell powder; in the scene of “Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals,” Guan Yu’s Red Hare horse’s mane is flared, and the dust kicked up by the hooves is highlighted with gold leaf. Local elders say that during the Republic of China era, whenever there was a drought, villagers would kowtow to the “Guan Yu Praying for Rain” mural, and it often worked.

👘【Martyr’s Shrine Murals】 (Photos 13-16)
A female epic hidden deep in the mountains. These late Qing dynasty murals are well preserved, with the “Holy Mother’s Procession” especially spectacular.

🌄【Yongqing Temple Murals】 (Photos 2-4)
The Taoist cosmos unfolds here. The Big Dipper is painted with real gold, and the twenty-eight lunar mansions are depicted as beast-headed, human-bodied figures with flowing robes. The most stunning is the “Thunder Gods” on the west wall of the Sanqing Hall, where lightning under the Thunder God’s hammer is inlaid with silver threads that faintly glow on rainy days. Taoist priests say this is a secret formula mixed by a Ming dynasty artist using realgar and luminous powder.

These weathered walls capture the imaginative brilliance of folk painters from five hundred years ago. Without the strictness of court painters, they carry the passionate spirit unique to the Loess Plateau. When the sunset gilds the murals, it suddenly becomes clear: what we call eternity is nothing more than ancient people splashing their lives onto the walls.

Post by Harper14 Lee - Harp | Aug 21, 2025