Cultural Significance of the Baoning Temple Murals in Shanxi, China: Perspectives from Artists and Art Historians Influenced by Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Culture and tradition have a crucial role in molding societies, safeguarding shared experiences, and fostering a sense of identity. They are the threads that connect us to our past, spanning the gap between our roots, values, and traditions. The objective of this research is to examine the paintings at Baoning Temple from the perspective of culturally astute artists and art historians. The purpose of the research was to better comprehend the murals' cultural significance by uncovering its historical background, artistic processes, symbolic representations, and engrained interpretations. A qualitative research approach was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews with 10 selected artists and art historians. A thematic analysis was conducted on the murals of the Baoning Temple in order to identify recurrent themes and patterns. The inquiry revealed several crucial aspects, such as the historical context of the murals, the artistic techniques employed, the symbolism and depiction depicted, and the diverse cultural interpretations of significance. It was determined that the murals captured the cultural legacy of Shanxi by fusing indigenous and foreign motifs. This work makes a valuable contribution to the field of art and cultural heritage studies by providing a comprehensive analysis of the paintings at the Baoning Temple. The results demonstrate the correlation between cultural heritage and creative interpretation, enhancing our understanding of their historical and cultural significance. This study emphasizes how important it is to value and protect these murals as precious cultural treasures.