The Temple of Varnished Tiles was founded under the patronage of one of the most famous Mu sovereigns, Mu Tianwang. The first frescoes were painted during the seventeenth year of the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1385) and others were subsequently added under the emperors Jiajing and Wanli. The superb frescoes clearly indicate the syncretic nature of the period, featuring a Sakyamuni Buddha, figures of the Taoist immortals, Tantrist monks and followers of Chan Buddhism.