Structure Type: Village Temple 村廟. This is a massive, multi-hall temple complex. The main deity seems to be the God of the Walls and Moats 城隍爺, but other shrines exist within the complex. A very similar temple complex exists at the neighboring walled town, Hemp Garrison 麻鎮.
Location: Huangfu Town, Fugu County, Shaanxi Province 陝西省府谷縣黃甫鎮. The temple complex is at the northern end of the axial road of the old garrison fort, facing south towards the Drum Tower 鼓樓 and the location of the old south gate.
Period: Murals from 1641 and afterwards. A stele dated “previously, in 1654” 昔順治拾壹年 outside the Priory of Pure Robes 白衣俺 gives the following story. The temple of the God of Walls and Moats had existed at the northern end of the main street since anyone could remember. This was repaired in 1636 by members of the Li 李 and Ru 如 families. Later on in 1641 another member of the Ru 如 established a second courtyard next to it, containing a shrine to Avalokiteśvara-Guanyin 觀音 and a second shrine to the Medicine King 藥王 next to it. This corresponds to the present building marked the Priory of Clean Robes, and the murals within it should date from this period. Later on in the early Qing (1654) members of the Li and Ru families made donations of “incense-fire land” 香火地 to support the temple, and erected the stele to record the details of this grant for perpetuity. The present Temple to the God of Walls and Moats does still have late-Ming/early-Qing murals in it. One of the characters in this mural holds up a scroll on which is written what seems to me to be the artist’s impression of the Manchu script; thus the murals could not have been painted before the Manchu-Qing capture of Beijing in 1644. The murals in this hall could date from the same time as the land grant (1654), or they could be later.
Artist: Unknown.
Mural Contents: There are two sets of murals here. The first is located on the upper story of the Priory of Pure Robes 白衣俺. These show a unique composite set of scenes. Surrounding the central figure of Avalokiteśvara-Guanyin 觀音 we see the sixteen arhats 十六羅漢 and the Ten Wisdom Kings 十明王. On either side are scenes depicting a monk worshipping the Buddhas of the Three Times 三世佛 in a pure land. The two flanking walls have stories from the Life of Śākyamuni 佛專故事. This is the only Dunhuang-style Transformation-Tableaux 變相 I’ve ever seen in a late-Imperial temple.
The lower-temple to the God of the Walls and Moats 城隍廟 is actually equally rare; apparently another mural to this deity survives at Pingyao 平遙, but beyond this I haven’t seen any intact murals to this god. The scenes show the procession or inspection tour of the god out and back from his palace, the interior of which is depicted on the two rear flanking walls. Of note in this procession is the fantastic band, with shawms, sheng mouth organs, trumpets, etc.
As a fun note here, there’s a rear building representing the “inner palace” 寢宮, where the God of Walls and Moats is enthroned together with his wife. The side-walls have recent murals depicting his home life, attendants, concubines, etc.
Other Notes: Since I went to the trouble of transcribing this stele, I may as well include it here. Check against the original as there are surely mistaken characters etc.
☐聞千年 / 佛境☐後代以增修萬載寶剎☐眾生之福田茲乃黃甫川堡北 / 城壕?內古為日見 / ☐神之所☐朝不☐之聳也於明崇禎九年與邑☐☐☐住持僧 / 土☐功德主李登☐☐如之簡民惠☐☐財☐信☐飾翻修 / 正殿☐宮山門西廂次任爵☐僧人緣☐增補☐照壁俱今 / ☐有法侄如玉與十四年東☐之外施地信士任爵功德主李 / 如☐☐新建☐☐觀音正殿三間關?公民悅?創建藥王東殿三 / 間西禪堂三間王?捐☐資添?修韋馱南殿三楹僧室六間山 / 門一坐共成二院遂?觀廟貌翼然高視☐覩牆墻垣峻巡鞏固 / 聖眾金容安祭?喜笑 各祠主☐滿日飲聖專祝 / 皇王聖壽萬歲帝道☐昌 / 佛日增☐法輪常轉☐增祿位民樂安康邊☐☐☐☐馬休征所 / ☐建廟立像遵崇而瞻仰之德以斯最勝之功☐☐☐☐之碑 / 記 / [long section detailing the land grants belong to the 城隍廟 and 藥王廟] / 合會施財官生鄉士眾姓軍民人等共成 / 勝事因碑終不能遂名間?具 / 昔大清順治拾壹年拾月初壹日吉旦住持僧如玉門徒☐存立
Full Gallery of the Priory of Pure Robes
Full Gallery of the Temple of the God of Walls and Moats
