Baisha Murals


Baisha is a small village on the plain north of Lijiang, near several old temples and is one of the best day
trips out of Lijiang. Before Kublai Khan made it part of his Yuan empire(1271-1368), it was the capital of
the Naxi kingdom.

The present murals are all kept in Dabaoji Palace and Liuli Temple in Baisha. The biggest one is stored
in Dabaoji Palace. In total, there are 100 vivid figures visible in it. There are 558 murals in Dabaoji Palace,
making it the place with the most murals in Lijiang. Murals collected in the palace are rare relics which
were made in the Ming Dynasty, so the palace was appraised as the important protection unit of cultural
relic of the nation.

The murals were also painted during this period when the Han, Bai, Tibetan and Naxi people came together and resided in Lijiang Plain. Hence
the Baisha Mural displayed the different religious cultures and arts forms from Buddhism, Lamaism, Daoism and the Naxi Dongba religion.  

Most Baisha murals depict religious stories, and one characteristic is to combine several legends into one picture. They are an artistic
Crystallization combining the Naxi, Tibetan, Bai and Han styles. The murals were painted by thoughtful arrangements, careful drawing, abundant
colors, exact shapes, and lifelike characters. They absorbed the features of Dongba painting, which is boorish with strong color contrast, well-
proportioned lines and refined brushwork.

The subjects involved in the murals are quite extensive. For example, vegetation, birds, insects,
running horse, blooming lotus, forest and farmland can all be involved. These murals reveal the
passionate life attitudes and sharp observation ability of the painters, who would also blend their
ideas of fine art into the paintings of religious figures. And social life of their days would also be
revealed in the murals.

Baisha Murals attract countless people both at home and abroad because of it distinctive
characteristics and precious historical connotation.