Baisha Mural
Located north of Lijiang Ancient Town, Baisha Village is the original settlement of the Naxi people and the first cultural and political center of Lijiang. The famous Lijiang Mural is a product of the opening of Naxi society in the Ming Dynasty, it has lasted more than 300 years. Late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty is the peak period of Lijiang mural, more than five hundred years of history. One of the most valuable treasures of Chinese painting is preserved there: Baisha Mural, also known as Lijiang Mural, which is displayed in the splendid and ancient temples. The mural, with unique religious themes and superb painting skills, is one of the most important forms of Lijiang's Dongba culture and attracts tourists who want to explore Lijiang in depth to visit and admire them.
The Baisha Mural is located in Baisha Village, 10 km north of Lijiang. Although the traditional houses do not look impressive, this was the cradle of Naxi culture and former capital of the Naxi Kingdom. The valuable murals are protected inside the Dabaoji Palace and the Stained Glass Temple. The originality and figures of the murals reflect the different religious cultures and artistic forms of Buddhism, Lamaism, Taoism and the development of the local Naxi Dongba religion in the Naxi school. Each painting includes at least a hundred portraits, which are not only of Buddha, but also of ordinary people, such as bureaucrats, farmers, citizens and even criminals. Dominated by the colors black, silver, dark green, gold and red, the murals in the back room, covered in centuries of brown soot, are ominous and strange. The scenes and figures, some still vivid in their details, are largely taken from Tibetan Buddhist iconography and include the wheel of life, judges of the underworld, the damned, titans and gods, buddhas and bodhisattvas. Many of the scenes and themes are taken from people's daily lives, such as fishing, horseback riding, knitting, dancing or iron smelting.
During the Ming Dynasty, the Mu Family of Lijiang Tusi was at its peak, with political stability, economic prosperity, to show its wealth, the Mu Family built palaces, a batch of buildings of considerable scale-the Baisha Colored Enamel Temple, the Dabao Palace and Dading Pavilion were built during this period. The Ming Dynasty murals kept there are highly prized cultural relics, belonging to the national key cultural relics protection units. Dabao Palace has 558 existing murals, where the largest number of murals in Lijiang are stored. The murals integrate Han, Tibetan and Naxi culture and different religions in harmony as an organic whole, and the Lijiang murals show Tibetan Buddhism and Confucianism, Taoism and other life stories.
These murals have witnessed the superb art, extraordinary creativity and rich imagination of the ancients; They are not only valuable treasures of the history of Chinese painting, but also a transcendent cultural heritage that serves as an ambassador dedicated to promoting Chinese culture in the world.
