Fahai Buddhist Temple

Mahavira Hall is the main hall, originally housing the enshrined statues of Buddhas and Li Tong (a eunuch of the Ming who supervised the construction of the temple). These statues were destroyed during the social turmoil of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), but the murals in the Hall remain intact. These murals were completed in 1443, by leading imperial artists, Wan Fuqing and Wang Shu, and court artists Zhang Ping, Wang Yi, Gu Xing, Li Yuan, Pan Fu, Xu Fulin and others, altogether fifteen artists.

On the screen behind a statue of Buddha there is a picture of auspicious clouds painted with smooth lines and bright colors; on the left and right walls there are pictures of big flowers such as Chinese rose, peony, banana, and lotus; on the upper part is a picture of deities on their way to a gathering, in which Buddha, Bodhisattvas and other gods all have special facial expressions. On the back of the screen are images of Avalokitesvara, Manjusri and Samantadhadra, as well as other young and old gods, a tamed lion, an elephant, and other attendants. The Bodhisattva wears a necklace made of pearls and jade, sits cross-legged with dignity, while the attendants wear central-Asian warrior attire, and the elders have the clothes of the Ming people, and elegant and solemn expressions.

On the northern wall is the "Sovereign Sakra and Brahma."

From historical materials it is known that there were already paintings of this theme as early as in the sixth century (AD 502-557). When this kind of painting became popular during the Tang (AD 618-907) and Five dynasties (AD 907-960), many famous artists did such paintings. These images varied in different paintings, and the styles were also different. Those gods are looked upon not only as the Guardians of Dharma, but also as the different forms of appearance of the Buddha who converted people. Therefore, they appear both dignified and merciful. From the middle of the 10th century on, such pictures in temple murals were very popular. At that time, as Buddhist and Taoist ideas were mixed up, Taoist gods appeared in the Buddhist pictures. The figures in the Fahai Temple's murals are relatively pure and without Taoist influences. The murals' layout and depiction bear earmarks of earlier works.

The mural "Sovereign Sakra and Brahma" is divided into two parts on the northern wall of the main hall. On the eastern part are Brahma and other gods with their attendants, as well as dragon demons holding coral and other precious things from the sea, and Skanda, a guardian of Dharma. On the western part are Sovereign Sakra depicted as a female, other gods with their attendants, including a guardian.

The gods with their different statuses and characters, present a vivid and unified whole. They are all on the way to a gathering, but they have different expressions, which at the same time are intrinsically related. The artists paid attention to not only the relations and harmony between the figures but also the harmony between the several different murals. On the rear screen, Avalokitesvara, Manjusri and Samantadhadra form a harmonious triangle with the two parts of "Sovereign Sakra and Brahama." The three deities sit in the area above, and the gods appear to be coming slowly from the eastern and western sides. The still-sitting Bodhisattvas and the moving gods are in harmony. The images are depicted separately on two symmetric parts on the same wall, but because of the echoes among the corresponding figures, the two separate paintings form a coherent scene. The artists paid attention to compositional factors such as color and structure, and at the same time concentrated on the characterizations of the figures.

The painters' efforts in depiction of the expressions can be exemplified by the four Lokapalas. Lokapalas are gods guarding Dharma, who in their over 1,000 years of evolution among the Chinese people, have had more Chinese characteristics added. The names of the objects in their hands pun on "favorable winds and rains" (guarantee for good crops). These guarding gods look majestic but not fierce in the murals. These different figures distinguish themselves not only with their positions and the different objects they hold, but more importantly, with particular countenances, which set off their different characters. The special facial complexions determined by Buddhist rules become, with the brilliant skill of the artists, effective in emphasizing their individual characters. Exaggerated facial colors such as golden yellow and green are employed to enforce this effect.

The gentle and kind gods are often depicted in womanly form. For instance, Mahasri, god of fortune, is attractively depicted wearing a necklace of pearls and jade. Haritidem is the goddess guarding children, so the image stressed is maternal love. Her loving expression and hands gently holding the child, reveal her sincere and loving heart.

The artists also excelled in creating imaginary, strange gods of Heaven. Maheisvara, the northeastern god, is depicted with eight arms and three eyes, effectively displaying his mightiness. Sarasvati, the God of Music, in the artists' creation seems to be exuding "beautiful music" with a visually exquisite image. To show how wild animals are tamed by music, following Buddhist scriptures, the artists painted lions, tigers and wolves surrounding the god.

The human figures in the murals of Fahai Temple have clear traits of the Ming Dynasty, while the whole layout respresents a synthesis of traditions of Tang- and Song-dynasty art. As religious art of feudal society, created during a time of great historical contradictions, it possesses very rich artistic merit. When the official artists of the Ming and Qing dynasties became uninterested in painting human figures or confined the subject matter for their creation to a very limited scope, religious paintings, mostly drawn by local artists, carried down the fine traditions of human figure painting. These paintings came out of a strong tradition of continuous creativity which reflected, directly or indirectly, social life with a variety of vivid images. The achievements of religious murals showed the importance of mutual cooperation between literati artists and popular artisans in promoting traditional culture. Popular artists and artisans stressed the handing down of preliminary sketch drafts, and painting skills being passed on and inherited from father and son, master and apprentice -- so these techniques have never been lost. In circumstances where human figures were ignored by mainstream art, some outstanding mural artists still came into being.

The mural "Sovereign Sakra and Brahma" in Fahai Temple, maintaining the best traditions of Buddhist paintings while possessing clearly the style of the times, is a supreme example of Ming-dynasty murals.