Murals on the Ceiling

There is a very special painting in Daeungjeon, or the main building of Songgwangsa Temple. Look up to the ceiling. You'll see mural paintings - eleven in all – of people playing musical instruments and dancing to the tune. They’re the residents of the Heavens, playing music, dancing, and offering flowers for Buddha.

They look as though they’re flying in the air, but it’s because of their sleeves. The sleeves are long and wide, so they appear to be fluttering in the wind whenever the heavenly people move. Follow the flowing lines, and you’ll get the sensation of flying in the air. So the mural paintings are an expression of freedom. Or more precisely, the ultimate freedom of the Buddhist Heavens.

Those who are playing stringed instruments and drums, as well as the Buddhist and sword dancers are actually the Eastern version of flying fairies. The mural paintings offer a panoramic view of fairies engaged in different activities. The musical instruments, dance moves, and the garments look very realistic, partly because they were painted with a thin wire.

There is a copy of the mural paintings on the outer wall of this main building. So you can go take a closer look at them if you want.