Jueyuan Temple

　　The Mahavira Hall was restored during the Ming Dynasty. It has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with gray-blue cylindrical tiles, post-and-lintel roof framing, bracket arms 6 meters long under the eaves, an eight-rafter structure with front and rear large interior beams reducing columns, and rear use of a minor beam with three columns. It spans 16 meters wide, two bays deep (13 meters), and stands 11 meters tall. The plain platform is 1.5 meters high, with a nine-step raised-path ramp. Its layout is nearly square, using a 10.85-meter-long post-and-lintel to support the roof horizontally and an 8-meter-long one vertically, forming a square-like space of 10.85 meters by 8 meters—spacious and majestic. The Guanyin Hall, also rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof with small green tiles and post-and-lintel framing without brackets. It spans five bays (21.5 meters) and five bays deep (13.8 meters), standing 7.9 meters tall. The plain platform is 1.5 meters high, with a seven-step raised-path ramp. In 1986, a new Guanyin statue was installed in the main hall, and a Lu You Memorial Gallery was established to its left and a Wei Zheng Memorial Gallery to its right.

　　Upon entering the Mahavira Hall, you are greeted by three seated Buddha statues, each 2.95 meters tall. According to the surviving Ming Dynasty stone inscription on the incense burner in front of the niche, these three statues represent the golden body of Sakyamuni, embodying the "Three Jewels in One"—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The central figure is the Buddha, with a full face, draped in a kasaya, bare chest and elbows, hands clasped in prayer while seated cross-legged, exuding solemnity and benevolence. To the right is the Dharma, and to the left the Sangha, both with subtle smiles and unraised brows, depicted in meditation and teaching mudras, dressed similarly to the central Buddha. Behind the three Buddhas is a splendid backdrop carved from wood and modeled in clay, featuring auspicious motifs such as the Five Tathagatas, Bodhi trees, dragons, phoenixes, blue birds, and the sun, all gilded with refined decoration. The overall shape is peach-like, surrounded by flame patterns, reaching 6.1 meters in height.

　　On the left side of the great Buddha stands Kāśyapa, and on the right, Ānanda, both with dignified and solemn expressions. Behind the great Buddha is a clay sculpture of Amitabha Buddha, standing firmly with a stern yet serene face and full features. Above are sculptures of Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, each with unique poses and lively expressions.

　　The stone incense burner in front of the Buddha niche features intricate carvings, including "Arhats in Meditation," "Musicians and Acrobats," and "Chess Games and Painting Appreciation." The high-relief figures, whether sitting, lying, speaking, singing, watching, or fighting, are rendered naturally and vividly. The lower part of the burner’s lid depicts muscular strength with exceptional craftsmanship—figures bending their arms, pushing upward with force, squatting slightly with legs apart, eyes wide open, with bulging muscles in their arms, foreheads, and necks, all strikingly lifelike.

　　On the round wooden pillars on either side of the niche, dragons are coiled as if ready to soar. The one on the right bares its fangs and glares fiercely, while the one on the left keeps its mouth closed and watches calmly. Sudhana and Dragon Girl each hold a dragon-subduing pearl, standing atop the dragon heads, exuding an aura of taming dragons and subduing tigers.

　　Along the inner beams of the hall, twenty-four Heavenly Kings are lined up on both sides, carved from camphorwood in the Ming Dynasty. Each stands one meter tall on clouds. These deities include both civil and martial figures, male and female, each with distinct personalities, poses, and attire.

　　The statues in the hall were created using a technique combining raw lacquer base, mineral pigments, and gold leaf. Colors were applied based on the character, temperament, and status of each figure, resulting in richly adorned garments. Thanks to the extensive use of lacquer and gold leaf, the statues remain dazzling and resplendent despite centuries of history. The “Buddha’s Life Murals” inside the hall are equally breathtaking. These exquisite murals cover a broad range of content and are considered invaluable treasures for the study of Chinese painting art. They also provide important reference material for research on military science, sports, medicine, clothing, architecture, literature, and especially Chinese social customs.

　　On the 3.5-meter-high walls surrounding the Mahavira Hall are sixteen sets of over two hundred colorful murals depicting the “Life of the Buddha.” Each mural is titled with a four-character ink inscription. At the end are portraits of the temple’s abbot at the time, Master Jingzhi, his disciple Monk Daofang, and other devotees. Covering a total area of over 170 square meters, these murals were collectively painted by folk artists after the hall’s reconstruction in the early Tian Shun era of Emperor Yingzong of Ming (1457 AD).

　　The murals begin with the story titled “Queen Maya’s Dream,” recounting how, on April 8th of the 24th year (546 BC) in the kingdom of Kapilavastu (modern-day Nepal), a baby named Siddhartha Gautama was born under the Ashoka tree in Lumbini Garden. After childbirth, Queen Maya, exhausted from ten months of pregnancy, passed away just seven days later. The infant Siddhartha was then raised by his aunt. At age seven, he began studying literature and martial arts. In his youth, he observed farming life, and by his twenties, he had mastered literature, philosophy, and mathematics, excelled in archery and swordsmanship, possessed extraordinary intelligence, and was well-versed in many fields. At 29, he ventured through the four gates of the capital, witnessing the suffering of birth, aging, illness, and death. Determined to relieve worldly suffering, Siddhartha defied his father King Suddhodana’s objections, left the palace secretly at night, cut off his hair with a golden blade, and became a monk, taking the Dharma name “Bodhisattva,” abbreviated as “Bodhisattva.” In the Bodhi Forest, he meditated under the Bodhi tree through wind and rain, enduring six years of ascetic practice. During this time, the god Indra sent a cowherd girl to offer him milk porridge in a golden bowl. The girl provided the porridge, and Indra offered robes, leading to his enlightenment at age 25. He then delivered his first sermon at Deer Park (modern-day Sarnath), spreading Buddhist teachings to save all beings. Sakyamuni passed into Nirvana in 486 BC. He lived for 80 years, gave 300 sermons, opened countless paths to enlightenment, and saved countless beings. The people of Kapilavastu honored him as “Sakyamuni,” meaning “the sage of the Sakya clan.”

　　Who was the master artist behind such richly detailed and literary murals? A legend says that over a thousand years ago, after the completion of the Mahavira Hall, a grand consecration ceremony was held. Incense filled the air, bells and chimes rang harmoniously, and everything proceeded smoothly according to Buddhist wishes—except for the bare walls. The abbot, restless, sought painters to create the “Life of the Buddha” murals but couldn’t decide on an artist. A literati patron from Wulian suggested inviting Wu Daozi, who was traveling through Shu at the time. Wu was invited and hosted with a special feast. Months passed, and as the Buddha’s Birthday Festival on April 8th approached, Wu still hadn’t begun. The anxious abbot urged him to start, preparing dozens of paint palettes and scaffolding. By April 7th, the murals remained undone. But the next morning, when the central doors were opened, the walls were gloriously covered with the complete “Life of the Buddha” murals—all completed overnight. Wu Daozi, the Sage of Painting, had vanished. Indeed, the Jueyuan Temple murals bear Wu Daozi’s style while also showcasing distinctive local characteristics. The overall composition is rigorous, flowing seamlessly from one scene to the next. Scenes are separated only by mountains, waters, clouds, trees, and buildings, yet interconnected, forming a cohesive narrative—a true classical comic strip. The murals are intricately detailed, grand in scale, elegantly shaped, skillfully brushed, and rich in refined colors. Using fine-line brushwork, the subtle emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness on the figures’ faces are vividly captured. These exquisite murals are truly peerless masterpieces.

　　Throughout history, numerous poets and artists have visited Jueyuan Temple, captivated by the mural artistry and left in awe. In May 1986, famed painter Shao Yu visited and remarked, “The painting technique is exceptional—these are the finest Ming Dynasty murals I’ve ever seen. They surpass even the works of renowned painters Qiu Ying and Tang Yin. Even if the creators were folk artists, they were undoubtedly masters of the highest caliber.” A celebrated photographer, after viewing the murals, praised them endlessly and inscribed “Pearl of the Shu Road.” Provincial cultural authorities allocated funds for restoration three times. In 1985, Mr. Wang Kuanqing, president of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, donated 70,000 RMB for mural preservation. Provincial cultural experts devised a scientific restoration plan to repair cracks, eliminate dangers, and preserve the murals’ original appearance.