Structure Type: Village temple. There is also an opera stage within the complex.
Location: The temple is located outside of the south gate of Li [Family] Fort. The site once stood in the open fields, but it has now become part of the southern suburbs of the Yu County seat.
Period: Undated. 19th or early 20th century.
Artist: Unknown.
Mural Contents: There are, as the name suggests, six shrines, dedicated to the God of Wealth 財神, Wenchang 文昌, the Horse King 馬王, the Dragon Kings 龍王, Lord Guan 關公, and Avalokiteśvara 觀音. By far the most interesting of these are the murals in the shrine to the God of Wealth. These show a wealthy devotee standing at the house of a European-style mansion. As the god looks on from above, bearded Europeans and Central Asians come down from the mountains, bearing gifts and treasures.
The style here seems quite possibly lifted from the lithographs of the Garden of Perfect Illumination 圓明園, produced under Jesuit tutelage by the Manchu artist Yi Lantai 伊兰泰.
Other Notes: I photographed them in great detail with a small point-and-shoot in 2017, but these photos are quite low-quality. In 2018, I returned and took a few pictures, but the care-taker was eager to shut the place down, so I could only snap a few images before I was shooed out. Relatedly: Despite the somewhat-interesting architectural drawings, these murals always struck me as best appreciated from under a paper bag.
2018 Gallery
(Only a few pictures)
2017 Gallery
(More complete, but much lower quality photos)
