# 'Naked-Eye 3D' From 500 Years Ago: The Light and Shadow Behind Fahai Temple's Murals

> In the latest episode of Into Chinese Art, Russian cultural observer Alina Efimova and Dong Zhuo, vice dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts' School of Restoration, explore why netizens describe Fahai Temple's Ming dynasty murals as naked-eye 3D, and the traditional techniques behind their glowing halo effect.

- Source: Times of China (Times of China)
- Canonical URL: https://timesofchina.cn.com/en/article/fahai-temple-murals-naked-eye-3d-ming-dynasty
- Chinese edition: https://timesofchina.cn.com/article/fahai-temple-murals-naked-eye-3d-ming-dynasty
- Author: 中国时报编辑部
- Section: Society
- Published: 2026-09-16T16:00:00+08:00
- Updated: 2026-09-16T16:00:00+08:00
- Tags: 法海寺壁画, 明代壁画, 艺问艺答, 中国传统文化, 壁画修复

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Mural painting is where painting began. With its long, distinct tradition, Chinese mural art unfolds like a history of painting written across walls. In the latest episode of the interview series Into Chinese Art, Alina Efimova, a Russian cultural observer with a deep interest in Chinese murals, sat down with Dong Zhuo, vice dean of the School of Restoration at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, for a cross cultural conversation exploring why the murals at Fahai Temple stand out for their refinement among China's vast mural tradition, where the naked-eye 3D quality netizens describe comes from, and what produces the faint halo of light that seems to hover over parts of the paintings.

## A pinnacle of Ming dynasty court mural art

The Fahai Temple murals date to the Ming dynasty, between 1368 and 1644, and are located in western Beijing, widely regarded as one of the defining works of Ming court mural painting. The murals make extensive use of traditional techniques including gold thread relief and mineral pigments, and centuries later still retain vivid color and remarkably fine linework, down to the folds of clothing, strands of hair and the details on the crowns of Buddhist figures. That level of preservation has long made the Fahai Temple murals a key reference point for scholars and enthusiasts of ancient Chinese mural art, and such completeness is rare among murals from the same period.

## The naked-eye 3D effect in light and shadow

The naked-eye 3D description that has circulated online largely comes down to the care painters put into rendering the texture of figures' garments. The relief technique gives clothing folds, ornaments and ritual objects a near sculptural sense of depth, while mineral components mixed into some of the pigments catch the light at certain angles to produce a faint, shifting halo that adds to the illusion of dimensionality. Because the murals are extremely sensitive to light, temperature and humidity, viewing conditions inside Fahai Temple are tightly restricted, making the chance to see the paintings up close a rare one.

## A story told through mural art

Produced by China Daily's Culture Channel, Into Chinese Art is an immersive interview series that pairs international guests with Chinese art experts, aiming to explain the logic behind Chinese art and aesthetics in a way that resonates with overseas audiences. The show's fourth season focuses on murals, with the Fahai Temple murals as the subject of this episode, giving more viewers abroad a way to connect with the depth of China's mural tradition through paintings that are more than five centuries old.

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Originally published by Times of China. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://timesofchina.cn.com/en/article/fahai-temple-murals-naked-eye-3d-ming-dynasty.