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Shrine to the Three Officials at Well-Hollow Village (Jingzi wa cun Sanguan miao 井子窪村三官廟)

From the Ground Up: Buddhism & East Asian Religions (FROGBEAR Project)

Well-hollow Village is a small hamlet, originally walled, located over the hill to the north-west of the Guangling County 廣靈縣 seat. The shrine to the Three Officials (Sanguan miao 三官廟) is located on an artificial platform on the northern wall of the old fort, looking south down the village street. No inscriptions survive to date the structure, but the murals appear in the 18th-century style, with a cool palette of browns, whites, and muted greens. The central wall shows dragons flying through clouds, a scene that would have formed the backing for statues of the deities on the altar. The two side-walls show scenes from a hagiography of the Three Officials, with unusually long and narrative written captions. These relate to miraculous interventions of the Three Officials, mostly set in south-western China during the Ming dynasty 明 (1368 – 1644); one of these stories is told in the first person, and places the author in Guangyuan County 廣元縣 of Sichuan 四川 province. The text reads as follows (transcriptions by Hung Lichien 洪儷倩): East wall, top row, right to left: 龍忠愛全成主金二☐五錢打毀玄壇神像三日後忠家染疫遂表七口有男龍道生傳心誦經病道全愈; 四川省酆都縣周恆行常於洪武十七年十一月全家染疫至次年六月未愈獨子名隆生長鬍赤足無病七月初一日三官大帝下世救民化為道士三人送經一本教隆生諷誦全家安愈; 顏先昧心與永子爭地五畝因在獄中受苦三年請道士誦經千遍忽有皇召?大赦; 忠洲路酆都山十王殿前眾生負欠錢☐将錢殿下納還免遭刑獄之苦生於富貴之家; 高遠縣☐☐☐☐☐☐☐五十☐☐道士化捨三元寶☐☐☐☐☐☐☐思養?不捨☐☐☐☐積罪名☐☐☐☐☐☐子孫伶☐恩☐☐後生彭☐☐☐☐☐. Middle row, right to left: 順天府大興縣江米巷四楊明廷秀其先人自國初☐堂供養天地水府三官大帝聖像廷秀偶於嘉☐甲寅四月間夜夢道人捧經消災延生保命妙經上有圖像醒後常懷在心於五月初一日在火神廟焚香見道人誦經有似前日夢中所見乃知神明☐☐☐☐☐無也☐發心刻印?施; 廣西瀧川曾子貴家貧好善捨像施經後家道興盛二子仲魯仲☐皆為顯宦; 四川順慶府汪同文謝士彬將菱川府客人楊文信曾萬主藍和[illegible]; 謝士彬任期賦得財還家後有餘路逢天雷擊死; 孟仲端與姚仁達爭山相訟在獄中三年後施發懺悔遂逢大敕. Bottom row, right to left: ☐☐重慶☐☐縣有曹子☐☐罵☐☐神☐☐☐後十七口全家☐疫☐☐☐☐☐☐陶氏發心誦經施捨☐☐☐念; 雲南府富民縣賀文昶妻張氏發心誦經後生二子長賀清次賀靖俱為顯宦. West wall, top row, right to left: 妻明☐☐☐經萬遠☐☐懺悔後樂☐病全愈免消☐☐; 臨安府河西縣鄧與☐不敬天☐不信此經三元巡察差天府[⺦+又]除等[西+心]☐子與恭長☐口後發心懺悔遂得平安; 四川酆都縣魯☐等一行九人同船生理忽生大風舟行無?岸合船駕懼惶扣請 三元聖經 隨即風平浪恬所求亨通; ☐永府顧?子良與?觀大☐☐見天☐☐☐經一遍一拜三元發應災即☐敬?; [illegible]. Middle row, right to left: 四川保寧府廣元縣丁亥吾全家沾病酆?會自恒探?望亦染病前自恒玄吾害騙學姓通鈔?一為健?以致?怨氣今世果報自恒亥吾各誦此經遂怨消災除; 胡云文繼先張大生李梁祀?大彬祝恩恒六人等在盜邪☐不忠不孝大斗小秤明☐☐騙獄中受苦☐七月十五日地官赦罪方出獄門; 雲南臨安府通☐縣婁明春?其父婁成透?林清危文四人同存?生理因分財不平打毀聖像; 徐州彭以☐☐☐志聰圖財富命以立杖胎志聰妻柳氏三次為兒取命化財; [illegible]. Bottom row, right to left: 四川重慶府☐道言☐結黨強[西+心]女子騙人財☐☐口咒咀怨天恨地?不怕?☐身心修☐善天?需?打☐; [illegible].

Shanxi Sheng (China); Guangling Xian (China); 39.807383; 114.210299

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North China Mural Survey

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10.14288/1.0435867

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