Location info and some photos withheld. As of my last visit, this mural site is vulnerable to theft or destruction. I have withheld the location beneath the county level and any photographs (of steles, signs, scenery, etc.) that might identify the place. If you are an accredited scholar and you have a good reason to want to see this information, email me and we’ll talk about it.
Structure Type: Village temple.
Location: The temple is located directly outside of the gate of the old fort, just to the south.
Period: Late 19th or early 20th century, based on style. The temple structure seems Ming-dynasty to me, but the murals inside are clearly of a later date.
Artist: Unknown.
Mural Contents: The front altar wall is now destroyed, but the two side-walls survive relatively intact.
The murals show the standard procession of the Dragon Kings out and back from the Crystal Palace 水晶宮, dispensing rain on the world below. A couple details of this are, if not unusual, at least particularly well preserved. On the left wall (facing south), the dragon-mounted deities emerge on dark storm-clouds, spiraling out from an incense-pot placed in front of a European-style palace with tall towers. On the right wall, the dragons are chained by demon soldiers, symbolizing the taming of the forces of nature after the rains. The deities, now pacific, return on horse-back to a Chinese-style palace amidst bright, golden mist.
At the bottom of the right wall is a particularly well-preserved ritual procession image. From left to right, we see the Daoist priests, a procession of the donors, a band with cymbals and dahao trumpets, and finally a group of children carrying offerings, approaching a recursive drawing of the temple itself.
Other Notes: The building was used as a store-room when I visited, but apparently there are plans to renovate the entire old village here, which contains several other historic structures.
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