Huozhou Nuwa Temple

Huozhou Nuwa Temple

Huozhou Nuwa Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Nuwa Temple is located in Jian Village, about 5 kilometers east of Huozhou City, Shanxi Province. It is surrounded by green mountains, with a murmuring spring flowing to the east. Legend has it that the temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty, destroyed afterward, and then reconstructed in the fourth year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. The temple preserves suspended clay sculptures and murals, particularly the famous murals inside the main hall. The mural on the eastern side of the main hall is 4 meters high and 6.5 meters long, covering an area of 26 square meters; the mural on the left side of the Nuwa sacred image is 4 meters high and 3 meters long, covering 12 square meters, and is connected as one with the eastern mural. The entire group of images depicts the lively and bustling scene inside the palace as the Holy Mother hosts a banquet for numerous officials.

The village still retains a large number of ancient architectural structures to this day, such as the Kuixing Tower, an early Qing Dynasty hanging-roof building to the east of Nuwa Temple; the high platform ruins of the Wenchang Pavilion to the west of the temple; the Liu Family Ancestral Hall, a Qing Dynasty structure to the north of the temple; the Wenfeng Pagoda, a six-sided, six-story brick pagoda from the Qing Dynasty; and the Xuan Di Temple, a contemporary architectural complex of Nuwa Temple located to the northwest. These collectively serve as typical examples reflecting the village customs and folk culture of the Yellow River basin during the Qing Dynasty. Due to the unique cultural atmosphere in the village, the villagers are simple and kind-hearted, and the area has produced generations of literati, with scholarly families found everywhere. The local saying “There are more scholars in Jian Village than donkeys” vividly illustrates this.

Nuwa Temple faces south and covers an area of approximately 2,347.5 square meters. Currently, only six Qing Dynasty buildings remain: a hanging-roof theater stage, bell and drum towers with flush-gable and rolled shed roofs, a Nuwa sacred hall with a hanging roof, and east and west wing rooms with hip-and-gable roofs. The inscriptions in the temple have been lost, making it impossible to verify the exact founding date of the temple.

According to "Shuowen," it is recorded: “Nuwa was an ancient sacred woman who transformed all things.” Legend says that humans were born from the brother-sister marriage of Nuwa and Fuxi, who later prohibited such unions and established marriage rites. This reflects the transition in China’s primitive era from consanguineous marriage to exogamous marriage. Another legend says she created humans from yellow earth, refined five-colored stones to mend the sky, broke off a turtle’s leg to support the four pillars of heaven, calmed the floods, slew ferocious beasts, and enabled people to live in peace.

The mural of the Nuwa Sacred Mother in the main hall of Nuwa Temple is the most exquisite part of the temple and is considered a masterpiece among Qing Dynasty murals. It covers a total area of 71.17 square meters. The composition uses a panoramic layout, integrating figures organically using architecture and trees. The lines are outlined and filled with color, with slight wash effects, predominantly using mineral pigments such as vermilion, blue, green, white, and yellow. Temple buildings, railings, and pavilions are drawn using straightedges. The entire scene interweaves mythology with the real social life of the Qing Dynasty.

The mural on the eastern wall covers a total area of 24.33 square meters and depicts the scene of court affairs being conducted in the palace. At the center of the hall’s eaves hangs a plaque reading “[Illegible characters] Mother [Illegible characters].” In the middle sits the Nuwa Sacred Mother, slightly turned to the left, as if inquiring about the sky-repairing matter, with a maid and two civil officials standing on either side. Below the terrace of the great hall, five emperors are depicted on each side, wearing imperial crowns and robes, holding jade tablets, awaiting orders; under the steps on the right, an official wearing a black gauze hat seems to be announcing an imperial decree; maids whisper among themselves or shuttle between halls; the Four Heavenly Deities—Year, Month, Day, and Hour—hasten forth. The whole scene is filled with rhythm and suspense.

The mural on the western wall covers a total area of 26.02 square meters, with a central plaque in the hall reading “[Illegible characters] Heaven [Illegible characters].” The entire scene unfolds around this theme. The Nuwa Sacred Mother stands in the center, wearing a phoenix crown and a ceremonial cape. Two maids stand on each side, holding feather dusters and palace fans. Various deities or emperors congratulate one another. A pair of phoenixes flies downward at the upper left and right corners; below the terrace of the great hall, three officials and their wives stand on each side; in the bottom right corner are two jailers and three newly pardoned prisoners. The prisoners clasp their hands together, bow slightly, wear scarves on their shoulders, and skirts/pants as they come to pay respects; in front, two attendants carry an offering table. In the upper middle section from left to right are clustered images of the Four Heavenly Deities: Year, Month, Day, and Hour.

Compared to the Four Heavenly Deities on the eastern wall, aside from similar facial features, these deities are gathered together in festive attire due to the completion of their grand task, with even fewer ritual implements in hand. Particularly at the center of the terrace, a child playing beside a warrior adds a sense of harmony and joy to the scene. The western wall mural includes 41 figures, including 14 females, 3 male children, 3 female children, and 21 males (including emperors, officials, warriors, servants, and commoners); the left upper part of the western wall depicts a scene of children’s daily life. Three girls and two boys play and taste food, while two officials on the right side of the hall write and record something. The areas on the east and west sides of the rear wall have murals covering 10.48 and 10.34 square meters respectively, mainly depicting the work scenes of palace maids in the inner kitchen. These two groups include 10 figures, 5 in each, all maids, busily delivering various foods. Some are placing domed covers over food trays, while others arrange food into beautiful patterns or decorate them.

Judging from the costumes of the figures, especially the officials’ robes and hats, they resemble those of the Tang Dynasty; they are the same as the official attire seen in the murals “Yuan Zaju” (Yuan Dynasty) and “Playing Chess” (Yuan Dynasty) in the Mingying King Hall of Guangsheng Temple. Given the geographical proximity of Huozhou and Hongtong, such influence is not hard to understand. Even the square bricks on the terrace floor follow the early Tang Dynasty “cross-jointed” paving method. The Nuwa Sacred Mother appears solemn and kind, exuding a profound and subtle charm; the maids are devout, embodying wisdom and grace; the warriors are mighty, yet contain kindness and authority within their fierceness.

The architectural scenes in the murals on the eastern and western walls are identical in structure and form. Aside from the Nuwa Sacred Mother, the same deities and figures (such as the Four Directions and warriors) also appear. Among these 102 figures or deities, 37 are female (including children), with brightly colored and uniquely patterned hair ornaments, none alike. However, to reflect their respective themes, the expressions, headdresses, color schemes, and the complexity of drapery lines (especially on women’s clothing), the number of female figures (significantly more on the western wall), and even the colors and patterns of architectural paintings differ greatly. It can be seen that the painter of the eastern wall mural focused on the conveyance of expressions between figures, with varied facial expressions; the western wall mural artist emphasized the use of body forms and the flowing curves of clothing to express joy and convey messages, making it a rare resource for studying ancient Chinese women’s hairstyles and attire.

Phone: 0357-5629111

Address: Huozhou City, Linfen, Shanxi Province

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units