Yuan Taizi Mural Tomb

Yuan Taizi Mural Tomb

The Yuan Taizi Mural Tomb is a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Located in Yuan Taizi Village, ShierTaiyingzi Township, Chaoyang County, the Yuan Taizi Mural Tomb was excavated in 1982 and has since been preserved on-site under protective sealing. The tomb yielded a wealth of precious artifacts, including pottery, glazed pottery, bronze cauldrons, bronze kui vessels, and horse tack. More importantly, the four walls and ceiling of the tomb chamber were coated with a layer of straw-mixed mud, then covered with white plaster, on which most sections were painted with colorful murals. The techniques primarily involve ink outlining and flat color filling. The tomb site is in Yuan Taizi Village, ShierTaiyingzi Township, Chaoyang County, Liaoning. Excavated in 1982, the stone walls of the tomb chamber were coated with a layer of yellow straw mud, followed by a layer of white plaster, on which murals were painted using red, yellow, green, ochre, black, and other colors. On the inner side of the doorposts inside the tomb entrance are painted gatekeepers, facing each other from east to west. In the right niche of the front chamber is a painting of the tomb owner, seated on a couch beneath a canopy, with attendants standing behind screens on either side. On the southern wall in front of the owner’s image, four female figures are painted side by side, facing the owner. On the western wall’s front section, the upper part depicts a food-offering scene, while the lower part shows the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird from the Four Symbols. The top of the western wall niche portrays a plowing scene with oxen. The rear section of the western wall illustrates a courtyard scene. The eastern part of the northern wall shows a butchering scene. The upper part of the northern wall niche depicts the Xuanwu figure. The front section of the eastern wall portrays a hunting scene. The northern part of the eastern wall shows a dining scene. The upper part of the eastern wall niche depicts a carriage-and-horse procession. Other murals include those of a couple, horses, armored warriors on horseback, as well as the sun, moon, flowing clouds, and a black bear, located on the walls of the side chambers and the tomb ceiling. These murals represent the artistic level of Eastern Jin Dynasty painting.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Liaoning Province