Full travelling
information of Lijiang attractions
Lijiang Mural
Ten
kilometers (six miles) northwest of Lijiang Old Town, there are several
ancient villages, including Baisha, Dayan, Shuhe, Yangxi and Xuesong.
There, the invaluable Lijiang Mural is stored, preserved and displayed
in 15 venerable temples, such as Juexian, Wande, Guiyi temples and Sanbi
Garden. Altogether, the mural used to include more than 200 pieces of
fresco. However, hundreds of years of historical vicissitudes have left
only 55 pieces in good condition. The most famous frescos are known as
Baisha Mural of the Dabaoji (Great Treasure) Palace and the Colored Glaze
Temple (Liuli Dian) in the town of Baisha.
Most of the temples were built from the early days of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) to the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the Lijiang Mural
was created at the same time, over the course of about 300 hundred years.
In Lijiang, it was an era of rapid economic development, mutual acculturation
of multinational culture, and the growth of religions. Accordingly, Lijiang
Mural was an artistic representation of this cooperation, communication
and progress. The authors of these mural paintings had come from different
nations, including the local Naxi Dongba painters; the Taoist painter
Zhang from the Central Plain; Tibetan Lama artist Guchang; Han painters
Ma Xiaoxian and Li Zeng; and many other artists who were unknown to the
public.
The originality and figures of the mural paintings reflect the different
religious cultures and artistic forms of Buddhism, Lamaism, Daoism and
the
Naxi Dongba religion, as developed in a Naxi school. Therefore, Lijiang
Mural is quite different from other frescos. Each painting includes at
least one hundred portraits, but perspective is used very well, and the
close, middle and establishing images are clear. The various lifelike
portraits are not only Buddhas but also ordinary people such as bureaucrats,
criminals, tourists and executioners. Many of the scenes and subject matters
are drawn from daily life-people are shown fishing, riding horses, weaving,
dancing and casting iron. The painters used different methods of portrayal
within the different elements of the fresco, such as flesh, garments,
jewelry, weapons and many other components. The style of these true-life
frescos is rural and unconstrained; the colors are strong and have intense
contrast but are also unified. The Lijiang Mural fully demonstrates the
superb artistic skills, outstanding creativity and rich imaginations of
these excellent craftsmen.
The vivid and exact figures, flowing lines, well-defined colors and powerful
effects of the exquisite details make the Lijiang Mural not only the rare
treasure of art, but also forceful proof of national solidarity and an
important source of information for research on national religions, arts
and history.
Ten
kilometers (six miles) northwest of Lijiang Old Town, there are several
ancient villages, including Baisha, Dayan, Shuhe, Yangxi and Xuesong.
There, the invaluable Lijiang Mural is stored, preserved and displayed
in 15 venerable temples, such as Juexian, Wande, Guiyi temples and Sanbi
Garden. Altogether, the mural used to include more than 200 pieces of
fresco. However, hundreds of years of historical vicissitudes have left
only 55 pieces in good condition. The most famous frescos are known as
Baisha Mural of the Dabaoji (Great Treasure) Palace and the Colored Glaze
Temple (Liuli Dian) in the town of Baisha.
Naxi Dongba religion, as developed in a Naxi school. Therefore, Lijiang
Mural is quite different from other frescos. Each painting includes at
least one hundred portraits, but perspective is used very well, and the
close, middle and establishing images are clear. The various lifelike
portraits are not only Buddhas but also ordinary people such as bureaucrats,
criminals, tourists and executioners. Many of the scenes and subject matters
are drawn from daily life-people are shown fishing, riding horses, weaving,
dancing and casting iron. The painters used different methods of portrayal
within the different elements of the fresco, such as flesh, garments,
jewelry, weapons and many other components. The style of these true-life
frescos is rural and unconstrained; the colors are strong and have intense
contrast but are also unified. The Lijiang Mural fully demonstrates the
superb artistic skills, outstanding creativity and rich imaginations of
these excellent craftsmen.