Bao Fan Temple Murals

Bao Fan Temple Murals

Bao Fan Temple Murals is a cultural tourism attraction.

Eight Wonders – Unveiling the Mystery of the “Oriental Immortal Paintings”

“An ancient temple blessed by nature, bathed in layers of rosy light. A phoenix rests by the Guanyin bamboo, a crane sleeps beneath the arhat pine. A pair of living tigers converge, saints uphold nine flying dragons. A celestial brush brings forth masterpieces, their brilliance shining upon Zen Buddhism.” This poem, titled *Praising the Immortal Paintings of Bao Fan*, penned by a Qing Dynasty literatus, describes Bao Fan Temple in Pengxi and its murals.

As early as the beginning of the last century, the murals were published in renowned cultural publications such as *Eastern Miscellany* and *The Young Companion Pictorial*, gaining widespread fame. In 1936, the Bao Fan Murals were included in *A History of Chinese Painting*. In the 1950s, Japan’s *World Art Collection* also featured the murals, further spreading their renown. In the 1990s, the Bao Fan Murals were once again selected for inclusion in *The Complete Collection of Chinese Art* and other compilations, ranking alongside the Dunhuang Murals and the Yongle Palace Murals in Shanxi. Even the Chairman, during his youth, visited Bao Fan Temple to admire the murals and left the inscription: “The immortal paintings of Bao Fan are truly worthy of their fame.” Before and after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in addition to overseas officials, merchants, and scholars from countries such as the UK, the US, France, and Japan who came to view the murals, renowned Chinese painters such as Feng Zikai, Duan Xugu, Huang Binhong, and Duan Wenjie also visited Bao Fan Temple to observe and praise the murals, giving them high acclaim...

However, due to its remote location and poor transportation and communication, the Bao Fan Murals remained hidden in a corner of central Sichuan for a long time, little known to the world.

An Ancient Temple Hides “Immortal Paintings”

From the Chengdu-Nanchong Expressway to the entrance of Pengxi County, follow a winding cement country road for another five kilometers, pass through the ancient town of Huilongchang, and you will see a solemn ancient temple nestled among “tightly clustered peaks and ancient camphor trees.” This is Bao Fan Temple, home to the “immortal paintings.” According to a Ming Dynasty stele inscribed with *The Record of the Construction of Bao Fan Temple*, the site was chosen for the temple because of its “auspicious land and spiritual energy,” making it suitable for “seclusion and cultivation.”

Originally named “Arhat Courtyard,” Bao Fan Temple was first built in the first year of the Zhiping era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1064), belonging to the Buddhist “Chan (Zen)” and “Pure Land” sects. The name “Bao Fan Temple” was bestowed by Emperor Yingzong of Song (Zhao Shu), meaning “the sacred treasure among Buddhas,” but the temple was later destroyed in war. During the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty, monks Haizhou and Qingcheng, having accumulated great merit, led their disciples to rebuild the temple on the foundation of the former “Arhat Courtyard,” reviving its Buddhist activities. Among the existing structures, apart from the side corridors rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, and the Guanyin Hall along the central axis are all typical Ming Dynasty architecture. In particular, the Mahavira Hall, rebuilt in the first year of the Jingtai era (1450), features intricate brackets and upturned eaves, exuding a solemn and serene aura, and is celebrated as a “finest example of Ming Dynasty architecture.”

The world-renowned Bao Fan Temple Murals are painted inside the Mahavira Hall. Historical records state that in the second year of the Chenghua era (1466), monks Qingcheng and Jingyuan invited painters to create 12 murals on the earthen walls of the Mahavira Hall, with 24 Buddha images painted in the spandrels, collectively known as *The Western Paradise*, covering a total of 104 square meters. Inspired by Sanskrit scriptures such as the *Sutra on the residence of the Mahasattva Nandimitra translated by Xuanzang*, the murals depict stories of the Buddha and the arhats, hence *The Western Paradise* is also called *The Arhat Paintings*. Currently, only 10 murals remain, with 2 missing—one damaged at the beginning by later generations, and the other at the end allegedly destroyed by “immortals.”

With a history of over 530 years, the Bao Fan Murals employ meticulous gongbi brushwork and techniques such as gold highlighting and powder application. Though depicting Buddhist themes, they vividly capture human emotions—the 103 depicted figures are shown listening to scriptures, threading needles, whispering to one another... each with distinct expressions and lifelike charm. The divine and the mortal realms blend seamlessly, radiating a rich secular vitality and extraordinary artistic allure. Renowned Dunhuang scholar and former director of the Dunhuang Research Academy, Professor Duan Wenjie, called them “a rare treasure of the motherland’s painting art.” Celebrated painter and former director of the Chongqing Painting Academy, Tan Xuekai, praised them as “the essence of Sichuan’s murals.”

Among the 10 surviving murals, *The Dharma Teaching of Ksitigarbha* is particularly exquisite, measuring 3.60 meters in height and 2.18 meters in width, and has been included in *The Complete Collection of Chinese Art*. The other nine—*Deliberating to Attend the Dharma Assembly*, *Offerings at the Thunder Sound Paradise*, *Bodhidharma Paying Tribute*, *Tara Guiding the Way*, *Nymphs of the Southern Heaven*, *The Long-Eyebrowed One Poses Questions*, *Arhats Listening to Scriptures (I and II)*, and *Perfect Merit*—are mostly narrative-driven, blending scenes and emotions, brimming with wit and charm, and are considered masterpieces.

Source: Pengxi County Government Website