Open Collections

Shrines to the Goddesses (Niangniang 娘娘), Horse King (Mawang 馬王) and the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang 玉皇) at Xinglong Monastery

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

Xinglong Monastery (Xinglong si 興隆寺) stretches along the slope of a loess-canyon near the ruins of what was once Zheng Family Hollow Village (Zhengjiagou cun 鄭家溝村) in Jia County (Jia Xian 佳縣), Shaanxi陝西. The new 'modern' village is now located on the hilltops above the canyon. The transcriptions of the steles in this complex are found in Shaanxi shiku zonglu: Yulin 陕西石窟内容总录：榆林 (Xi’an: Shaanxi renmin chubanshe, 2017), Vol. 3, pp. 1196-97. The complex and its immediate surroundings contain at least a dozen shrines of various types, some with pre-Revolution murals and some without. One building, on the lower part of the slope, contains two adjacent halls to the Goddesses (Niangniang 娘娘) and Horse King / Hayagrīva (Mawang 馬王). An opera stage sits to the south of this building. The structure consists of a single east-west barrel vault, accessed by arched gateways on the southern side. Murals are painted on the east and west side-walls, and on the spaces between the doors and windows on the southern curve of the arch. The style of the murals appears to be nineteenth-century. The murals display children playing. Each panel has a cartouche with an auspicious title that refers to success and profit; some of these seem to be the names of childrens’ games. Most panels also have a separate square cartouche that lists the names of individual male and female donors. These read as follows, transcription by Chen Pei’an 陳姵安. East wall: top row, right to left: 狀元及第 (管龕 信士高繼寅 男希文妻☐氏 希德妻韓氏 希何妻白氏 希☐妻鄭氏 希☐妻刘氏 孫祥兒 孫喜兒 孫雙喜妻房氏 孫鎖柱兒妻叚氏 孫順兒妻王氏 小孫 天喜 安兒白氏☐☐☐☐ 隨安兒 双祥妻☐氏 ☐☐ 施☐三☐二十文), 迎喜接福 (管龕 信士弟子鄭永廉妻叚氏 男繼常妻李氏 繼榮妻陳氏 繼卿妻陳氏 孫順兒妻馬氏 如兒 成意兒 施錢三兩六十文), 獨立朝剛 (管龕 信士鄭永長妻王氏 男繼生妻韓氏 孫拴柱兒 施錢三兩六十文 弟子陳志有妻劉氏 男從兒妻劉氏 二從妻☐氏 孫加喜兒 施錢三兩六十文), 鹿鶴桐春 (管龕 信士 [illegible] 王萬任妻☐氏 [illegible]); second row, left to right: 位列三台 (管龕 信士高繼王妻閆氏 男高繼高妻蒼氏 高繼王三兒曹氏 高繼成妻四氏杜孫茹兒 施☐二☐四十文 鄭☐祥 妻白氏 男鄭☐丑妻徐氏 施錢二☐四十文), 九子奪梅 (管龕 信士高☐☐妻李氏 男高希☐妻李氏 高希奐妻☐氏 高希☐妻田氏 施錢而兩四十文 信士劉☐☐妻徐氏 男劉世旺妻☐氏 劉世☐妻高氏 劉世禎 孫双☐☐ 二罗☐ 施錢二兩四十文), 奪占鰲頭 (管龕 信士王成彩妻曹氏 男大祥妻全氏 孫方意兒 ☐意兒 施錢二兩四十文 白☐☐氏 男正德妻鄭氏 正祿 施錢☐☐四十文 陳万祿妻☐氏 男☐☐妻☐氏 施錢二兩四十文); third row, right to left: 封侯掛印 (管龕 信士王惠妻☐氏 男☐☐ 王奉妻鄭氏式 男☐栓兒 施錢☐☐四十文 叚奐茂妻徐氏 男☐☐☐☐☐ 孫奐☐妻☐☐☐☐ 三兒四兒 施錢☐☐☐☐), 魚躍龍門 (管龕 信士 高希長妻李氏 高希良妻陳氏 男☐☐☐妻徐氏 高铁財 三隨兒 施錢二☐四十文 鄭利妻張氏 男元伸妻徐氏 ☐日才妻高氏 ☐☐二勺四十文), 加官進祿 (管龕 信士 王 [illegible]); bottom row, left to right: 吉☐☐☐ (cartouche illegible), 福自天來 (cartouche illegible), 連仲三元 (管龕 信士☐☐岑妻☐氏 男☐鎖兒 施☐一兩☐☐文 陳万企妻高氏 男☐☐ 施☐☐☐☐ 高昆至妻☐氏 ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ 白走柱妻☐氏 男☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐). South wall, east panel: 福祿來臨 (cartouche illegible), 蓮生貴子. South wall, central panel: right column, top to bottom: 一舉登科 (管龕 信士陳☐☐妻正氏 男☐☐妻☐氏 ☐☐妻高氏 施不三[百？]六十文 高天祥妻陳氏 男正順妻☐氏 ☐☐ 铁兒 施不三☐四十文 鄭元亨妻莊氏 男加☐妻白氏 加祥妻余氏 加財妻莊氏 孫☐女兒 連生兒 老☐兒 施不三☐六十文), 四時如意 (cartouche illegible), 麒麟选子 (cartouche illegible); left column, top to bottom: 六國拜相 (管龕 信士☐☐☐☐ 孫☐兒桂☐三桂☐☐☐ 施不三[万？]六十文 鄭元富妻☐氏 男☐太妻☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ 王☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ 施不三☐六十文), ☐☐大吉 (cartouche illegible), 戲樂金錢 (☐龕 信士陳佩恩妻☐氏 男☐☐妻劉氏 ☐科妻田氏 ☐☐妻曹氏 ☐狀妻王氏 孫☐霄妻鄭氏 孫步青妻白氏 孫步彩妻高氏 孫步明妻高氏 孫步朝妻高氏 應長兒 孫 如意兒迎喜兒隨正兒☐祥兒徐意兒秦意兒 施不三☐六十文). South wall, west panel: right column, top to bottom: 抬頭望福（管龕 信士張☐望妻李氏 男萬子妻陳氏 萬粮妻高氏 施不二☐四十文), ☐☐☐☐ (管龕 信士 ☐☐萬喜妻☐氏 萬太妻☐氏 萬順妻賀氏 孫☐童 ☐☐☐☐四十☐ 高☐☐妻高氏 ☐☐二☐四十文 叚☐☐氏 男☐富妻鄭氏 ☐有妻陳氏 ☐貴妻白氏 孫☐☐兒☐☐兒如意兒☐☐兒 施不二☐四十☐), ☐☐☐☐ (cartouche illegible); left column, top to bottom: 魚龍變化 (cartouche illegible), ☐☐☐☐ (cartouche illegible), ☐☐☐☐ (cartouche illegible). West wall: top row, left to right: 來龍進喜 (管龕 信士高繼殄妻劉氏 男希溫妻白氏 希良妻杜氏 希恭妻程氏 希儉 希☐ 施錢三百六十文), 大獅少師 (管龕 信士高有旺陳氏 男希☐方氏 希義陳氏 施☐三☐廿文), 吉慶有餘 (管龕 信士王門万氏 男王智妻白氏 男王正妻杜氏 孫☐意栓住兒改関宝住兒 施☐三☐六十文); 教子讀書 (管龕 姓氏 信士陳明俊妻杜氏是 男王☐妻程氏 ☐☐杜氏 王智鄭氏 施錢三百☐☐) second row, right to left: 韓信打缸 (管龕 信士馬良相妻陳氏 男符才妻劉氏 孫來福兒 施錢二☐四十文), 五子奪魁 (管龕 信士高希發妻馬氏 男思克妻胡氏 思舜妻田氏 思禹妻杜氏 思湯 孫顏鎖兒 施錢二百四十文), 一步登雲 (管龕 信士陳進望妻王氏 男苟則 二苟則 老生兒 施☐二☐四十文); third row, left to right: 四時吉慶 (管龕 信士叚☐寬妻王氏 男叚長福妻杜氏 孫蘭榜兒 施☐二☐四十文), 一品當朝 (管龕 信士王繼殄 妻陳氏 男万學妻余氏 孫模☐妻白氏 模旦 模☐ 施錢二百四十文), 連陞三級 (管龕 信士陳進漢尚氏 男☐㥳妻李氏 ☐☐ ☐兒 施錢☐☐二十文); bottom row, right to left: 鳴雷一聲 (cartouche illegible), 必定☐☐ (cartouche illegible), 蟬弓☐貴 (cartouche illegible). The hall to the Horse King has a central image to this deity, flanked by the Ox King (Niuwang 牛王) and a figure identified on a spirit-plaque as the Water-Glow God (Shuiguang wang 水光王), also known as the King of Water and Fodder (Shuicao wang 水草王). The east and west side walls show the deities riding back and forth, while the southern panels show scenes of herders with their flocks. The Jade Emperor hall is located at the uppermost part of the Xinglong Monastery complex, looking out across the valley. The hall has been repaired multiple times since the 1990s, with new statues installed and the old murals painted over. The Zheng 鄭 brothers, hereditary painters who ran the monastery association (hui 會) in 2018, claimed that they painted over the old pattern. The inner part of the murals shows celestial officials in an audience (chao 朝) with the Jade Emperor, while the outer parts of the murals show back and forth processions of the Dragon Kings (longwang 龍王).

Shaanxi sheng (China); Jia xian (China); 38.281416; 110.279744

chi

North China Mural Survey

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0438801

Non UBC

Graduate

DSpace