Note: This is a painting produced in the last fifty years by an artist who is presumably still alive. I do not have copyright in any way over this artist’s work. I’m reproducing it here because (a) these images are of ethnographic interest, (b) I’d hope that shining more light on contemporary mural and scroll painters will ultimately be good for their trade, and (c) frankly, these people seem unlikely to sue me. To that last point: It’s possible to commission these scrolls very easily in the villages around Wutai County. If you’re interested, email me and I’d be happy to give you the contact information of several painters we met.

Structure Type: Buddhist monastery 佛寺.

Location: Datong County, Datong Cityship, Shanxi Province 山西省大同市大同縣. The monastery is located high up in a mountain valley.

Period: 21st century. I regret that I did not actually photograph the recent steles, which might have given the date and authorship.

Artist: Unknown.

Mural Contents: The murals show the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni 釋迦佛. Most interestingly, the artist seems to have based his style on material from India – both the Indian-style clothing and the heavy, dramatic shading of the figures relates to contemporary Indian popular illustration. It’s a curious example of the re-Indianization of the Buddha in contemporary Chinese imagination.

A second hall in the rear has Chinese-style murals of the Universal Gate Sūtra 普門品.

Full Gallery