Shanxi Travel: From the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shuozhou to Chongfu Temple (Photos)

Deep bonds of comradeship and hearts full of care! These were the powerful emotions experienced by this reporter during a recent excursion—an exploration and cultural visit to the Jin-Shaanxi Grand Canyon, meticulously organized by Zhao Xiangjie and Zhang Qiuyue of Beijing Target Action along with conveners Geng Heping and Zou Xiaofei. Fellow participants included comrades from eight regiments of the former Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps, Shenyang Military Region of the PLA.

Departure from the assembly point (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Early on October 8, 2021, 40 group members from all corners of the capital gathered at the departure assembly point, Anhui Building, waiting to set off. Unexpectedly, the tour bus was long overdue, not arriving until 8:35 a.m. After a long wait in the cold, everyone was a bit disgruntled.

Geng Heping greets the group (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

However, once the bus got going and everyone saw the heavy traffic and severe congestion along the route, combined with the witty opening remarks and sincere apologies from organizers Geng Heping and Zhao Xiangjie, the earlier discontent quickly turned into understanding laughter and cheerful chatter... Thus, the highly anticipated and wonderful journey truly began...

Scenery along the way (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Perhaps it was heaven's reward for waiting in the morning chill, as the day turned out sunny and bright. Once the bus left Beijing and hit the expressway, traffic was light and the scenery outside the window was boundless. In no time, the views around Badaling Great Wall continuously unfolded before everyone's eyes.

First group photo after departure (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 1:30 p.m., after nearly five hours on the road, the Jin-Shaanxi Grand Canyon tour group arrived at the first stop: the famous Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shanxi. To make up for the long wait that morning, Zhao Xiangjie, president of Target Action Culture and Tourism Group and one of the organizers, changed the originally self-paid lunch to a banquet he hosted at Fengzeyuan Restaurant in Ying County. The lavish dishes gave everyone a heartwarming Shanxi-style meal right at the start of the trip.

Approaching the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 2:30 p.m., the reporter strolled with the group to the renowned Yingxian Wooden Pagoda scenic area. In front of the area's memorial archway, the group took their first group photo of the trip. Then, guided by a local tour guide, they entered the site, and the guide's vivid commentary began to fill their ears.

Entrance to the scenic area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Located inside the Fogong Temple in the northwest of Ying County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, the pagoda commonly known as the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is formally named the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple. Built in the second year of the Qingning era of the Liao Dynasty (1056 AD, the third year of the Zhihe era of Song) and completed with additions in the sixth year of the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty (1195 AD, first year of Qingyuan of the Southern Song), it is the tallest and oldest surviving wooden pagoda in China and the only multi-story wooden tower. Together with the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower, it is known as one of the 'Three Great Towers of the World.' In 2016, the Sakyamuni Pagoda was recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest wooden pagoda in the world.

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda scenic area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

As the world's oldest wooden Buddhist pagoda, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda stands 67.31 meters tall, with a base diameter of 30.27 meters and an octagonal floor plan. The entire pagoda consumed 3,000 cubic meters of Korean pine timber, weighing over 2,600 tons, built entirely of wood without a single nail or dowel.

Photo with the pagoda's cultural relic stele (Photo: Geng Heping)

Research shows that over nearly a thousand years, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda has not only endured the alternation of day and night, seasonal changes, and erosion by wind, frost, rain, and snow, but has also withstood multiple strong earthquakes, with more than a dozen registering an intensity of five or above.

Rear courtyard of the scenic site (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Historical records state that in April of the ninth year of the Dade era of the Yuan Dynasty, a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Datong area with a sound like thunder, affecting the pagoda. During the reign of Emperor Shun of Yuan, Yingzhou experienced a seven-day great earthquake; buildings near the pagoda all collapsed, but the wooden pagoda alone stood unmoved.

In modern times, several major earthquakes in the Xingtai, Tangshan, Datong, and Yanggao areas have all affected Ying County, causing the pagoda to sway violently and all its wind chimes to ring for over a minute, yet it remained standing tall afterward. Merciless lightning strikes and years of fierce winds from beyond the Great Wall have also lashed the pagoda, and chaos from wars and the flames of battle have wounded it as well.

Freezing a happy moment (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Especially during the warlord melee in 1926, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda was hit by over 200 bullets, and the scars can still be seen today. Yet the pagoda has remained unyielding, still standing proud and piercing the sky.

A corner of the wooden pagoda (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Literati of Ying County through the ages have researched the historical origins of the place name. Ming scholar Tian Hui once explained it as deriving from the echo of the two mountains Yanmen and Longshou, which was clearly a forced interpretation. Buddhist scriptures say that sacred relics of the Buddha 'respond to the heavenly way above and to all living beings below, truly a land of response.' 'Heavenly way and all living beings' refer to celestial deities and earthly sentient beings; the place where the Buddha's relics and sacred teeth appear is the 'Land of Response'—Yingdi.

Ying County was anciently called 'Yingzhou,' and this is the sole reason. A pair of Buddha's teeth reappeared in the world in the 'Land of Response,' Ying County, demonstrating a special karmic affinity. Thus, Ying County is surely a Ying County for the world, and the Sakyamuni Pagoda is certainly the only bodhimanda where the Buddha auspiciously manifests in the world.

Photo taken in the wooden pagoda scenic area (Photo: Yang Jianmin)

Strolling through the pagoda scenic area and gazing up at the towering wooden pagoda against the blue sky and white clouds was a magnificent sight. One couldn't help but marvel at the ancient builders' technical prowess, which seems miraculous even to modern minds.

Looking closely at its construction, one feels the profound depth of ancient Chinese architectural art. For instance, the outer eaves of the pagoda's ground-floor ambulatory are supported by 24 wooden pillars. When at rest, each pillar bears a load of 120 tons, yet the stone plinths beneath have no sockets—the wooden pillars simply sit flat on the stones. This is truly astonishing. It is said that some curious person once ran a thin rope between the stone plinths and the wooden pillars, giving rise to the folk legend that the 24 pillars take turns resting.

Stepping inside, one is greeted by an 11-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha on the ground floor. Looking up inside the pagoda makes it feel even more majestic. The surrounding murals depict vajras, heavenly kings, disciples, and donors, rendered with delicate and vivid brushwork characteristic of Liao Dynasty painting.

Bell tower of the wooden pagoda (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The entire pagoda features wooden staircases, which once allowed visitors to climb to each level, offering different views on each floor. However, to protect the cultural relic, climbing to the top and looking down at the outside scenery is no longer permitted. Yet, one can still savor and appreciate the interior sights.

Photo in front of the wooden pagoda (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Especially, the guide’s vivid explanations of the floors that can’t be climbed helped make up for that disappointment. The second floor is open and bright due to light streaming in from all eight sides, featuring a main Buddha, two bodhisattvas, and two attendants in lively postures.

The third, fourth, and fifth floors also enshrine Buddha and bodhisattva statues, each floor differing in configurations and design. A particularly well-written silver couplet on the third floor reads: 'Desiring to let eyes roam to the edges of a thousand miles, lift up your robes and try climbing to the sixth floor.' On the outer east side of the third floor, a wooden couplet on the western face says: 'Looking down, the Sanggan River’s rolling waves entwine like a ribbon; gazing afar, the verdant peaks of Mount Heng stand like screens,' perfectly capturing the refreshing scenery of mountains, rivers, and forests. What is most special is that the Buddha statues inside this pagoda are very large and of high craftsmanship. Among countless pagodas in China, this one excels in architectural technique, interior decoration, and statue-making artistry.

Temple within the wooden pagoda scenic area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The group’s luck was truly good; when visiting the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in Shanxi, they happened to catch a folk opera performance of 'Shuahai'er,' part of the 'Shanxi Province 2021 Endangered Local Opera Public Performances.' Shuahai'er, also known as Keheqiang, is one of the traditional opera forms beloved by audiences in the Datong area of Shanxi.

Local opera 'Shuahai'er' (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Shuahai'er is a opera genre named after a tune title, originating from the middle reaches of the Sanggan River. It was once active in Datong, Shuozhou, Shenchi, Wuzhai in northwestern Shanxi, and in Hohhot and Baotou in Inner Mongolia, deeply loved by audiences. Troupes performing Shuahai'er were already active during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty, meaning its formation dates at least to that time. It is a unique flower in the garden of Chinese opera and is praised by experts as a 'living fossil in the history of drama.'

Arriving at the ancient city of Shuozhou (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

After satisfactorily completing the visit to the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, the Jin-Shaanxi Grand Canyon tour continued by bus and arrived at the second scenic spot in Shanxi—Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou—at 4:40 p.m. There, they received a warm welcome from Mr. Zhang Qingjun, Secretary-General of the Shuozhou Tourism Association, who personally acted as the guide for Chongfu Temple.

Chongfu Temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Entering the solemn and stately courtyard of Chongfu Temple, Zhang Qingjun explained to the group that the temple is located on the eastern side of the ancient city of Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Chongfu Temple comprises structures such as the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Thousand Buddha Pavilion, Manjusri Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Triple Treasure Hall, Amitabha Hall, and Guanyin Pavilion. The temple preserves well its Jin Dynasty architecture, statues, and murals, making it an ancient temple of high historical value.

Courtyard of Chongfu Temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The temple was first built in the second year of the Linde era of the Tang Dynasty (665 AD), and its main hall, the Amitabha Hall, was constructed in the third year of the Huangtong era under Emperor Xizong of Jin (1143 AD), with a history of over 850 years. Its architecture, statues, murals, glazed components, door and window latticework, horizontal inscribed boards under the eaves, and ink-written inscriptions—all Jin Dynasty relics—have survived more than 800 seasons intact, which is truly rare and invaluable.

Stone lion statue in the temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The Amitabha Hall, as the main hall and the largest in the temple, is tall and spacious. Its roof has green glazed tile edges, and the interior front-eave lattice doors and window tracery are elegant and exquisite—a well-preserved Jin Dynasty work still existing in China. On the altar are three seated statues of the 'Three Saints of the West,' flanked by four attendant bodhisattvas and two vajra guardians. These statues are all Jin Dynasty originals, with a simple yet refined modeling style.

Amitabha Hall of Chongfu Temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The hall stands on a tall platform 2.4 meters high, with a spacious front terrace that accentuates its grandeur and magnificence. Under the front eaves hangs a vertical plaque inscribed 'Amitabha Hall,' an original piece from the twenty-fourth year of the Dading era of Jin (1184). The hall is seven bays wide, measuring 40.96 meters across, and four bays deep with eight rafters, 22.31 meters deep. It has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, with a total height of about 21 meters.

Photo in front of Amitabha Hall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The front central five bays have lattice doors, and the rear central bay and two corner bays each have two large panel doors for visitors' access. To enlarge the interior space, the central five bays have eliminated the middle pillars, leaving only two of the original four front inner pillars and moving them to the center line of the side bays, increasing the area for the altar and worshipping. This method of reducing and shifting pillars is a bold innovation in Chinese architectural history.

Admiring Amitabha Hall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Entering Amitabha Hall, one sees statues distributed on a large altar spanning four bays. The main statues sit in lotus position: Amitabha Buddha in the center, Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) on the left, and Mahasthamaprapta on the right—the 'Three Saints of the West' in Buddhism. Flanking them are four attendant bodhisattvas with slightly bent postures; at the two front corners stand two vajra guardians, imposing and muscular, with angry, wide-open eyes, as if performing their protective duties. These painted clay sculptures are original to the hall's construction; although repainted in the Ming Dynasty, their form, body, clothing, and facial expressions have changed little, remaining masterpieces of Jin Dynasty statuary.

A corner of the Bell and Drum Towers (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In addition to these splendid halls, Chongfu Temple also preserves wooden carved pavilion-style Buddhist niches, stone carvings from the Tang, Liao, and Song dynasties, and many unearthed cultural relics. Among them, Liao Dynasty stone statues and a Northern Wei stone pagoda finial are particularly eye-catching.

Night view of Haiyuan Hotel (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

With the visit to Chongfu Temple concluded, the first day of the Jin-Shaanxi Grand Canyon tour came to a successful close. That evening, on behalf of the Shuozhou tourism community, Zhang Qingjun warmly hosted the entire group at Northwest Oat Noodle Village, where everyone enjoyed a delicious, authentic northwestern-style feast. Afterwards, they checked in at the Haiyuan Hotel in Shuozhou. (Text and photos: Feng Ganyong)