SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • Awakening from Illusion in “The Painted Wall”

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    Ana

    There is a scene in The Painted Wall(The Mural), from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio, sounds ridiculous yet conveys profound meaning.

  • Did the mural truly change?

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    Ana

    After reading Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio: The Painted Wall (The Mural), many may wonder: did the temple mural physically change? Zhu Juren (Zhu Xiaolian) insists the celestial maiden’s hairstyle transformed–from a maiden’s coiffure to a matron’s bun–after his journey into the painting.

  • Monk Baozhi’s Statue in The Mural

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    Ana

    In Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio: The Painted Wall (The Mural), the statue of Baozhi Monk (Zhi Gong) — a revered monk of the Liang Dynasty–is not a random religious motif but a deliberate spiritual beacon crafted by Pu Songling.

  • Heavenly maidens scattering flowers in The Mural

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    Ana

    If you have read the story of The Mural (The Painted Wall) from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio by Pu Songling, you may have the question, why would the temple has the “heavenly maidens scattering flowers” painted on the wall?

  • The nameless protagonist in The Mural

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    Ana

    As we all know, names are very important. But why the protagonist of the story The Mural(The Painted Wall) from the Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio does not have a name?

  • The Mural

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    Ana

    Meng Longtan, a native of Jiangxi Province, and a Juren by the name of Zhu (Note: a Juren was one who pasted the imperial examination at the provincial level) were visiting the capital together.