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# This Botched Chinese Restoration Job Might Be the New Beast Jesus
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/this-botched-chinese-restoration-job-might-be-the-new-beast-jesus/
- Published: 2013-10-23T17:49:56.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:34:25.000Z
- Description: In what's undoubtedly the worst "restoration" job we've read about since last year's Beast Jesus, a local company in the Chinese city of Chaoyang has destroyed a series of Qing Dynasty frescoes by painting an entirely new scene over them in garish colors.
- Author: Jillian Steinhauer
- Tags: News, China, restoration, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:59 (2012, 2013, part 2)

![The original Qing Dynasty frescoes (via globaltimes.com)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/10/original-fresco.jpg)

The original Qing Dynasty frescoes (all images via globaltimes.com)

In what is undoubtedly the worst “restoration” job we’ve read about since last year’s [Beast Jesus](http://hyperallergic.com/tag/beast-jesus/), a local company in the Chinese city of Chaoyang has destroyed a series of [Qing Dynasty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing%5FDynasty?ref=hyperallergic.com) frescoes by painting an entirely new scene over them in garish colors.

Located in a hall at the Yunjie Temple, the original frescoes were crumbling and in need of repair. But, according to the [*Global Times*](http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/819317.shtml?ref=hyperallergic.com#.UmgEHJTk9EL), the state-owned Chinese tabloid, the local office that initiated the restoration failed to get provincial government approval and then enlisted a completely unqualified company to do the job. Which landed them with this:

![The "restoration" job](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/10/new-fresco.jpg)

The “restoration” job

Apparently a “Net user” named Wujiaofeng — the [BBC](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-24625277?ref=hyperallergic.com) clarifies that he or she is a blogger — first discovered the mishap and posted photos online. Punishments were “immediately” dispensed, says the *Global Times*, and the article ends with an assurance of more to come: “the local government will hand out further punishments.” Unfortunately, all the punishments in the world won’t restore these frescoes to their original state.

By the way, for those who need a Beast Jesus refresher, here’s our composite image:

![](http://hyperallergic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/heres-what-happened-when-an-elderly-man-took-it-upon-himself-to-restore-a-painting-in-a-nearby-church.jpeg)