The Leifeng Pagoda scenic area recently hosted a cultural salon under the theme “Tracing the Wuyue Legacy—The Mirror of Flowing Light and Pale Moon.” Visitors followed guides to learn the art of “dotting blue”—dipping fine brushes in pigment and filling a bronze mirror with colour, stroke by stroke. In their hands, line engravings from a thousand years ago came back to life in color.

As the brushes kept moving, the story of the ancient mirror on the table unfolded. Known as the “Mirror of Flowing Light and Pale Moon,” it was unearthed from the Leifeng Pagoda underground palace. It offers a direct look at the distinctive mirror-engraving craft of the Wuyue Kingdom and a clear reflection of the many facets of the Five Dynasties-period Wuyue state.

What makes the mirror truly special is that its surface brings together figures, pavilions, constellations, floating clouds, dragons and phoenixes, and cranes—all hallmarks of Wuyue-period art, and of immense research value. What story is depicted on the mirror? Scholars have debated this in recent years, and no consensus has emerged. But whatever the interpretation, peeling back the layers of history still leaves a sense of its considerable weight—an irreplaceable piece among the relics unearthed at Leifeng Pagoda.

The salon was built around two segments centred on the mirror. Zhang Tuo, a teacher at Zhejiang University of Media and Communications and visual effects director of the documentary Wuyue Kingdom, unpacked the Wuyue emotions behind the bronze mirror, talking with visitors about the relic across time and showing them how to approach it in a more meaningful way. “Dotting blue” was the hands-on part—visitors used the technique to colour rubbing copies of the mirror’s line engravings, bringing a thousand-year-old image back to life at their fingertips.

According to the Leifeng Pagoda scenic area, visitor numbers this autumn are roughly on par with the same period last year, but there has been a clear rise in older visitors and independent overseas travelers. This kind of in-depth cultural experience, where you can sit down and make something with your own hands, fits exactly what these two groups are looking for. The scenic area will host six more salons this month. If you are interested, just check the schedule and sign up through its official WeChat service account.