2024 Cultural 'Summer' Journey (Thirteen): Kaihua Temple - The 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' of the Mural World

Shanxi Gaoping Kaihua Temple is probably familiar to everyone, as it is a 'national treasure' of Jincheng. Especially the murals inside the temple—the only existing large-scale temple murals from the Northern Song Dynasty in China, which can be called the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' of the mural world~~ Kaihua Temple, originally named Qingliang Temple, is located at the southern foot of Sheli Mountain, forty-five li northeast of Gaoping City, Shanxi Province. It was founded during the late Tang Zhaozong period (889-904 AD). The temple faces south with a two-courtyard layout. In front of the temple is a two-story pavilion-style mountain gate (Great Compassion Pavilion), with bell and drum towers on either side. Entering the mountain gate, the main hall is the Mahavira Hall, with side rooms on both sides. The main hall in the rear courtyard is the Dharma Hall, with the Three Great Bodhisattvas Hall on the east side and the Ksitigarbha Hall on the west side. The entire structure is symmetrical and blends with the mountain terrain, forming a beautiful picture. The mountains are high and the forests are dense, with strange rocks everywhere, the sound of pine waves, babbling streams, birds singing, and flowers fragrant, like a fairyland. From the sixth year of Xining in the Northern Song Dynasty (1073 AD) to the third year of Shaosheng (1096 AD), the Mahavira Hall, Great Compassion Pavilion, and other structures were built, grand and magnificent, with an ancient charm. The east, north, and west walls inside the Mahavira Hall preserve Song Dynasty murals. The murals are exquisite, with bright colors, rich connotations, and superb craftsmanship, making them unique among ancient buildings in the country. These murals predate the murals of Yongle Palace and can be called national treasures. The murals mainly depict stories from Buddhist scriptures, primarily to promote Buddhist ethics such as karma, with the intention of encouraging good and punishing evil. The stories are intricate and moving, with extensive and complex content. The main themes are tolerance and charity, benevolence, wisdom, faith, filial piety, and virtue, as well as hearing the Dharma and observing precepts. Unfortunately, Kaihua Temple is also guarded by an 'iron general.' After contacting the Gaoping City Cultural Protection Bureau and going through a lot of trouble, the final result is that the temple only opens at 15:00 in the afternoon. It is said that the murals of Kaihua Temple are the only existing Northern Song Dynasty temple murals in the country, known for their depictions of secular life in transformation paintings. Unfortunately, they can only be seen from behind a barrier. Kaihua Temple