The purpose of this research is to study the temple murals painted during the Tang Dynasty in Chang-an City China and its suburbs. Throughout the development and decline of the Tang Dynasty, the murals, which were steeped in Buddhist thought, had a profound influence on the politics and social culture of the period. They depicted the crowning achievments of the Tang Dynasty, and in themselves showed the splendor of the artists and scholars from that era. At present, we are unable to see these murals because of the ravages of war, time, and changes of policy which called for their destruction. This thesis researches the history of the paintings and related data that has survived to the present day. Chapter one: Introduction. Statement of the motive of the research, reviews of the documentaries, and the orientation of the research and its limits. Chapter two: A study of Chang-an City temple locations in the Tang and Sui Dynasties and the functions of the temples for Chang-an City. Chapter three: The murals in the Tang Dynasty temples. A view on the murals from the book 'Collections of Famous Historical Paintings', and thoughts on the temples from Wu Dao-zi, a painter in Tang Dynasty. Chapter four: The influences on the scholars of the Tang Dynasty. A study of the paintings and poems of Wang-wei, and an analysis of how the murals influenced the poems and songs written by Han-yui. Chaper five: Conclusion As Buddhism developed in the Tang Dynasty, the number of temples in Chang-an increased, and the area saw a greater diversity in the ceremonies performed at the temples. As Buddhism flourished, it had a profound impact on the social culture of the Tang Dynasty. By analyzing the murals in the temples according to the history of the paintings and other related descriptions, we can come to an understanding of the complete development of Buddhism and Daoism in the Tang Dynasty. The popularization of these religions stimulated the trend of building temples, and the number of murals grew as well. Zhang Xiao Shi,Yin Lin, Wei Chi Yi Seng, Wu Dao Zi, Lu Leng Qie, Yang Ting Guang and Han gan were experts on the murals. In Chang-an and Luo-yang, Wu dao-zi alone 'painted on the walls of over three hundred temples'. Murals in the temples combined the painter's religious imagination with their painting skills. The murals, studied as a whole, gather the works and wisdom from countless painters. These temples are a landmark to the aesthetic sense of the Tang dynasty, and because of the artists' close relationship with the monks, the works of the scholars were affected by the murals. It created a mysterious atmosphere in the field of arts and culture.
