Iconographic Analysis of Wall Decorations at Taihui Temple in Jingzhou : Visual Construction of Religious Narrative and Ritual Space

Taihui Temple in Jingzhou, one of the best-preserved Ming Dynasty Taoist complexes in southern China, contains a comprehensive wall decoration system that embodies religious meaning through thematic content, spatial configuration, and symbolic expression. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and Panofsky’s three-level iconological method, this study analyzes the reliefs, paintings, and sculptural elements of the Zushi Hall and its surrounding structures. The findings reveal that the images—ranging from Taoist deities and mythological narratives to auspicious folk motifs—form a coherent network of religious storytelling closely aligned with spatial hierarchy and ritual movement. Beyond their decorative role, they serve as mechanisms of spatial guidance, psychological orientation, and symbolic authority. This study thus highlights the active role of visual imagery in constructing sacred experience and provides a methodological framework for interpreting regional Chinese religious architecture and its visual heritage.