Yongle Palace - The Pinnacle of Yuan Dynasty Murals

Yongle Palace was originally the residence of Lü Dongbin. After Lü's death, it was converted into a shrine for Lü, and by the end of the Jin Dynasty, it became a Taoist temple. In the third year of Yuan Taizong's reign (1244), the temple was destroyed by a wildfire. Soon after, construction began in the second year of Yuan Duzong's reign (1247), and it was completed in the eighteenth year of Yuan Shundi's reign (1358). Inside Yongle Palace, the Wuji Gate, Sanqing Hall, Chunyang Hall, and Chongyang Hall are all adorned with murals, covering a total area of about 960 square meters. The most famous of these murals is the 'Chao Yuan Tu' on the walls of the Sanqing Hall, which depicts a scene of 286 gods from various Taoist sanctuaries paying homage to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. The painting is grand in scale, with brilliant colors, and despite the multitude of figures, they are arranged in an orderly fashion. The gods are dressed in splendid attire, with flowing ribbons. It represents the pinnacle of Yuan Dynasty murals. The author of 'Chao Yuan Tu' was originally thought to be the team led by Ma Junxiang, but later experts verified that Ma Junxiang likely only completed the eastern half. The more exquisite other half is attributed to the team of Zhu Haogu, with the most compelling evidence being the appearance of a peculiar ox-head shaped rock in the painting, which also appears in the murals created by Zhu Haogu's team at Xinghua Temple.