Southern Shanxi - A Journey Through the Time Gate, Ultimate Cultural Tour
Underground cultural relics look to Shaanxi, while above-ground cultural relics look to Shanxi! Two trips to southern Shanxi over a decade ago gave me a preliminary taste of the splendor of Shanxi's above-ground cultural relics. The isolated Tang dynasty ancient building Tiantai Temple (later confirmed to be from the Five Dynasties after renovation), the Qinglian Temple surrounded by mountains and rivers, integrating ancient architecture, Tang sculptures, and Buddhist origins, the Longmen Temple nestled in the mountains with architecture from the Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the grand and exquisite Yuan dynasty murals of Yongle Temple, the rare and finely painted Five Dynasties murals of Dayun Temple and the Song dynasty Buddhist genre murals of Kaihua Temple, the 'Crown of Song Sculptures'—the Twelve Perfections statues of Faxing Temple and the Eighteen Arhats of Chongqing Temple, the Twenty-Eight Mansions colored sculptures of Fucheng Jade Emperor Temple with artistic attainments comparable to the European Renaissance, and the suspended sculptures of Guanyin Hall like celestial music... all are earth-shattering masterpieces of ancient art! However, due to time and policy constraints at the time, many places remained inaccessible, leaving regrets. A friend from college two years ago expressed a longing for the Small Western Paradise in Xixian County, which prompted this in-depth revisit to southern Shanxi.
Day1 Zhengzhou > Anyang, Day2 Anyang > Yecheng, Day3 Yecheng > Pingshun > Changzhi, Day4 Changzhi > Gaoping > Jincheng, Day5 Jincheng > Xinjiang, Day6 Xinjiang > Fencheng Town > Fenyang > Xixian, Day7 Xixian > Jishan > Xiangning, Day8 Xiangning Yunqiu Mountain, Day9 Yunqiu Mountain > Xiaxian > Ruicheng > Mianchi, Day10 Mianchi > Longmen > Zhengzhou
Day1&2: Pilgrimage to the Art of Chinese Characters and Buddhist Stone Carvings—Anyang Character Museum / Yinxu Museum and Yecheng Archaeological Museum
On the first day, after unremitting efforts to change from flight to high-speed rail, I arrived at the day's destination Anyang in the evening. The next day officially began the exploration of ancient writing and Shang dynasty relics. First stop was the National First-Class Museum located in Anyang city center: the Anyang Chinese Character Museum.
- Chinese Character Museum -
The Chinese Character Museum, located at No. 656 East Section of Renmin Avenue, Anyang City, Henan Province, is a national-level thematic museum approved by the State Council, integrating cultural relic protection, exhibition display, and scientific research. It is also China's first museum themed on characters. The museum complex is a postmodern architectural group with modern architectural style and Yin-Shang palace charm, consisting of the Character Square, plaza, main building, Cangjie Hall, Science Hall, Research Center, Exchange Center, etc., covering a total area of 143 mu (approx. 9.5 hectares) with a total building area of 34,500 square meters. It houses 4,123 collected cultural relics, including 305 first-grade relics, covering oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, bamboo and silk manuscripts, history of Chinese character development, history of Chinese calligraphy, minority scripts, and world scripts. - Excerpted from Baidu
After visiting the Character Museum, we drove to the nearby famous Yinxu Museum in the northern outskirts, the verified origin of Chinese civilization through archaeology. The site is located in the northwestern suburbs of Anyang City, Henan Province, spanning both sides of the Huan River. In ancient times it was called 'Beimeng', also known as 'Yinxu', 'Yinyi', and in oracle bone inscriptions as 'Dayi Shang' or 'Shangyi'. It was the capital of the late Shang dynasty and the first ancient capital site in Chinese history that can be verified by literature and confirmed by oracle bone inscriptions and archaeological excavations, dating back 3,300 years. From the relocation of the capital by Pan Geng in 1300 BC to the fall of the Shang under Di Xin in 1046 BC, it remained the political, economic, military, and cultural center of the late Shang dynasty for 255 years. - Excerpted from Museum Tour.
- Yinxu Museum -
The Yachang Ox Zun was unearthed in 2001 from a tomb at Huayuanzhuang in Anyang Yinxu. The tomb was well-preserved. The ox's face bears the inscription 'Yachang,' referring to the tribal leader of the 'Chang' state in the southern Shang dynasty, a military commander second only to Fu Hao, and the master of this tomb. It is one of the few Shang dynasty tombs in Yinxu that was not looted. The zun is shaped like an ox, 40 cm long, 22.5 cm high with lid, waist circumference 52.5 cm, mouth 12.9 cm long and 9.1 cm wide, weighing 7.1 kg. The ox is robust, with head forward, mouth slightly open; its eyes, ears, nose, horns, belly, tail, and other features are vivid and lifelike. The body is densely decorated with animal patterns such as dragons, birds, tigers, and elephants. The shape is uniquely magnificent, and the ornamentation is intricate and exquisite.
Oracle bone script is a mature square-character script, named because it is inscribed on turtle shells and animal bones. Yinxu has yielded about 150,000 inscribed oracle bones, with over 5,000 individual characters and more than 100,000 divination inscriptions. The content covers politics, economy, culture, astronomy, meteorology, and other aspects. The Oracle Bone Hall of the Yinxu Museum displays nearly 100 oracle bones, over 90% of which bear divination inscriptions. The content is diverse, but basic categories include sacrifices, military campaigns, hunting, and celestial phenomena. The 'Classified Interpretation of Oracle Bone Inscriptions' provides original text, transcription, Chinese interpretation, and English translation for visitors to study. For example, among the oracle bones collected by Luo Zhenyu, one records the relationship between the Shang dynasty and a powerful northwestern tribe. It shows that within less than 30 days, three men named Chang Youjiao, Qi Zhu, and Zhi Ga reported four incursions by the Gongfang and Tufang tribes. The strong enemy invasion also caused local people to flee. - Excerpted from Museum Tour.
Leaving Yinxu Museum just past lunchtime, we replenished dry food in the car, rested briefly, then drove 48 km to the Yecheng Archaeological Museum in Yecheng Town, Linzhang County (ancient Yecheng), which houses Northern Wei and Northern Qi Buddhist statues that shocked the archaeological and art worlds.
Yecheng was the capital of six dynasties: Cao Wei, Later Zhao, Ran Wei, Former Yan, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi. In 2012, archaeologists excavated the largest burial pit of Buddhist statues since the founding of the PRC—the Beiwuzhuang Buddhist statue burial pit east of the Yecheng site. Most of the exhibits at the Yecheng Archaeological Museum are from this pit, including Buddha statues and other archaeological finds. The Northern Wei statue of Shakyamuni by Tan Fu, the Northern Qi stupa, the painted standing Buddha, and Sui-Tang dynasty statues are exquisite, of high artistic value, and very precious. Among them, the 'Dragon-Tree Back Screen' Buddha statue is a first discovery in northern Chinese Buddhist history. - Excerpted from Baidu Encyclopedia.
- Yecheng Archaeological Museum -
First, prominently in the hall is the only Northern Qi white marble stupa found in the burial pit. The massive body, fully painted and gilded, consists of a base, body, inverted bowl, and spire. The four-sided niche body is carved with two standing Buddhas and one seated Bodhisattva in each niche. The top is an ancient Indian-style inverted bowl, of extremely high historical and artistic value!
Before the 6th century AD, Buddhism in the central northern plains went through the 'Liangzhou mode' and 'Yungang mode' stages. The first phase in the Yecheng area clearly showed the influence of the Yungang period. At the end of the 5th century, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei implemented sinicization policies, and the 'loose robe and broad belt' and 'elegant bone and clear image' styles imitating Southern Dynasties became mainstream. By the mid-6th century, the 'Dragon-Tree Niche' style became popular under Northern Qi Emperor Wenxuan Gao Yang, becoming typical of mid-to-late Northern Qi statues centered on Yecheng. Yecheng's Buddhist statue art, influenced by political, cultural, and social customs, showed various stylistic changes, primarily accepting and learning from ancient Indian Buddhism, marking an important stage of Buddhist culture merging with indigenous Chinese culture. Under Indian Gupta influence, a new style appeared in Yecheng: white marble Buddhist statues with a back screen of double Bodhi trees, with the main deity being a new Northern Qi style, using openwork carving. These statues are exquisite and distinctive, completely different from the earlier pointed-arch back screen form. Scholars call this the 'Dragon-Tree Back Niche Style.' It is said that the widespread use of openwork and the whole Bodhi tree as background relate to Shakyamuni's meditation under a tree when he was Prince Siddhartha. In 577 AD, with the fall of Northern Qi, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou extended the persecution of Buddhism to Yecheng and Northern Qi. Later, Yang Jian implemented policies of destruction and relocation in Yecheng, dealing a heavy blow to Buddhism in the region. Temples were destroyed, monks dispersed, and the 'Dragon-Tree Back Niche' style, which had lasted about 20 years, quickly faded from history.
The Tan Fu Shakyamuni statue is a national treasure. The face is damaged, but you can still see the whorl-patterned topknot, a robe covering both shoulders, the right hand in abhaya mudra, the left hand holding the robe edge, standing barefoot on a lotus pedestal. On the back screen are symmetrical patterns of apsaras, flame motifs, vajra warriors, and donors. Interestingly, the apsaras here show stiff bodies, lacking the liveliness of Southern Dynasties apsaras, probably because northern minorities had not yet fully adopted Han Chinese aesthetics and retained Indian style.
These statues are almost all carved from white marble, unlike earlier bluestone. White marble, commonly known as white jade, is found in a belt along the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains, from Fangshan in Beijing south through Quyang to the Henan-Hebei border near Yecheng. Quyang Xiude Temple's white marble statues are famous, and Yecheng had easy access to white marble. The fine texture of white marble was ideal for openwork carving, producing many masterpieces.
'The White Horse Licking the Foot' is a typical and significant episode in the Buddha's life story, first appearing in the Sutra of the Origin of the Prince's Auspicious Response translated by Zhi Qian in Eastern Wu. After Prince Shakyamuni left the city and witnessed the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death, he vowed to find a way to help people escape worldly suffering. With the help of Sakra Devanam Indra, he broke free from palace constraints, rode his beloved horse Kanthaka over the city wall to the ascetic grove. In the quiet of nature, he felt joy and delight, dismounted to meditate, recalled the unbearable worries of the world, and decided to leave his servant and beloved horse, sending them back to the palace, to seek liberation alone. At this, the horse Kanthaka, upon hearing he was to be sent back, knelt and licked the Buddha's feet, tears falling like rain, unwilling to part. Seeing the horse's grief, the prince shed a few tears and gently stroked the horse, saying, 'Kanthaka, do not grieve. I am very grateful to you. You have done your utmost as a fine horse, serving me to the end. You will be free from evil rebirth and will surely receive a good reward.'
The sculptures in the archaeological museum, with their superb artistic expression, still linger in my mind. Those craftsmen, whose names are lost in the river of history, with what devout hearts they must have created such masterpieces!
Anyang and Yecheng Tips:
A. External Transportation - Zhengzhou, as a transportation hub for North and Central China, has convenient flights and high-speed rail, and car rental services are easy. Its location is close to Anyang/Yecheng Town and southern Shanxi, making it a good transportation node for this trip.
B. Internal Transportation at Sites - Anyang's Character Museum and Yinxu Museum are within the city area; self-driving or taxi is fine. For self-driving, the Character Museum has its own parking lot nearby. For Yinxu, it's recommended to navigate directly to the parking lot; on the way, you can turn into the open site area on the roadside to see the Yachang tomb site.
C. Food - For dinner in Anyang, find an old local restaurant to taste the 'Three Treasures': fenjiang rice, skin residue, and blood cake, which are quite distinctive. If you don't want breakfast at the hotel, find a nearby shop for flat vermicelli, also unique. For dinner in Yecheng Town, try a donkey hotpot restaurant (rare in the south), order two plates of donkey meat/offal and a vegetable side dish, very tasty!
D. Accommodation - Many choices in Anyang; book according to needs. Yecheng Town has fewer options; the chain business hotel we stayed in was clean and tidy with complete facilities.
On the third day, we will leave Henan and cross the Taihang Mountains into Shanxi. Before entering the Taihang, we will visit the Xiuding Temple Pagoda along the way.
Leaving Yecheng, heading west toward Linzhou, on Provincial Road 303 toward the Taihang Mountains, after passing Tongye Town, take a right fork onto County Road 006. Not far ahead, at the end of the road, a beautifully decorated square pagoda stands on a small hillside on the right.
- Xiuding Temple Pagoda -
Xiuding Temple Pagoda, commonly known as 'Tang Pagoda,' is located inside Xiuding Temple at the southern foot of Qingliang Mountain, over 30 km northwest of Anyang City, Henan Province. The temple is now destroyed, but the pagoda remains. On the southern lintel are carved Buddhas of the Three Worlds; it is also called 'Three Lifetimes Pagoda.' It is a single-story square pagoda made of relief-carved bricks, a reliquary pagoda. The pagoda consists of a top, body, and base, with a total height of 20 m, body height 9.30 m, and body width 8.3 m. It is hollow, with three solid sides and a vaulted door on the south. The base is a Northern Qi structure (551-553 AD), octagonal in plan, while the body is square. Below is a waisted Sumeru pedestal, above a single-story eaves with overlapping tiles. The top has an oval vase, supported by an inverted lotus. The interior is built of rectangular small bricks. The four walls of the body are covered with 3,775 molded bricks in diamond, rectangular, triangular, parallelogram, pentagonal, and various linear and curved shapes, totaling 76 patterns, covering 300 sq m with no blank spaces. Patterns include Buddhas, disciples, Bodhisattvas, vajra warriors, warriors, heavenly kings, maidens, apsaras, celestial musicians, blue dragons, white tigers, fierce lions, elephants, heavenly horses, giant pythons, various flowers, and ribbons. The top is made of red, yellow, and green glazed components. The entire body is inlaid with high-relief bricks, looking from afar like a magnificent square sedan chair, evoking Li Bai's verse: 'Lofty integrity pierces the clouds, comprehensive virtue reaches far.'
In 1961, during a national cultural relic survey, the Henan provincial cultural relic team inspected the pagoda but failed to recognize its value because the top was destroyed and most of the body was covered with lime and mud. In 1973, when the pagoda top was reconstructed, it was designed based on the Tang pagoda niches carved in the Wanfo Ravine of Lingquan Temple in Anyang.
Xiuding Temple was first built in the 18th year of Taihe (494 AD) under Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei (two years earlier than the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng). The emperor funded the construction of a temple for the eminent monk Zhang Meng at Qingliang Mountain west of Ye. Because the surrounding mountains were shaped like battlements, it was named Tiancheng Temple. In the 2nd year of Xinghe of Eastern Wei (541), General Gao Cheng renamed it 'Chengshan Temple.' In the 1st year of Tianbao of Northern Qi, Emperor Wenxuan Gao Yang, while touring the mountain, saw two rivers merging in front of the temple and renamed it 'Heshui Temple.' In the Sui dynasty, Emperor Wen changed 'Heshui Temple' to 'Xiuding Temple,' based on the story of monk Zhang Meng saving a tiger. In the 10th year of Zhenguan of Tang (636), the pagoda was 'repaired by imperial order.' In the 3rd year of Qiande of Song (965), the temple received three imperial plaques. In the 1st year of Xuande of Ming (1426), Xiuding Temple became an imperial prayer site. From its founding to the Ming dynasty, it was a national temple. The temple we see today no longer exists; it was destroyed in the late Qing.
At least 24 brick carvings have been lost overseas, mostly in European and American museums: 10 in the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, 2 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, 6 in the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, 1 in the British Museum, 2 in Cambridge University, and 1 in the Miho Museum in Japan.
Leaving the ancient pagoda, we continued west on Provincial Road 303. Soon the majestic Taihang Mountains approached, coming into view.
After leaving the rest area, not far from the highway exit, we arrived at the first destination in Shanxi: Rainbow Village (Nihong Village) and the national-protected Ming Hui Master Pagoda in the village.
Rainbow Village is located in the Hongtiguan Grand Canyon scenic area, a true ancient village on a cliff. At the village entrance, a rainbow waterfall cascades down spectacularly; below the waterfall is the Rainbow Gorge, like an unfathomable abyss. The houses in Rainbow Village are built entirely from local materials, with stone slabs for roofs and stone walls. Inside the village is an ancient pagoda called Ming Hui Master Pagoda, originally built in Haihui Monastery (now gone). The pagoda is the relic stupa of Master Ming Hui.
After parking in the village, continue walking a short distance up the right side to reach the ancient pagoda, now protected by a wall and a steel-framed color steel roof—the Ming Hui Master Pagoda.
- Ming Hui Master Pagoda -
The pagoda was built in the 4th year of Qianfu of Tang (877), over 1,000 years ago. Among known Tang stone pagodas in China, this is the best preserved overall. The pagoda is square in plan, 6.5 m high, with sides 2.21 m. It is single-eave, single-story, five-layered four-column style, with an inverted bowl and conical top entirely made of carved stone. The overall form imitates wooden architecture, using components like columns, beams, rafters, and straight lattice windows. Like the Burning Lamp Pagoda of Faxing Temple in Zhangzi, it is a precious physical relic for studying Tang architectural techniques and carving art. Its shape is graceful, exquisite, and elegant, with proper height-to-width proportions, rich carving content, refined details, and skillful carving techniques. Although not a large structure, its artistic value is extremely high, considered by art authorities as a precious and unique example of Tang stone pagoda architecture.
Leaving Rainbow Village, heading west on County Road 670 (Zhanghe Line) toward Pingshun Longmen Temple, we soon entered Tongtian Gorge, with the majestic Taihang Mountains on both sides. Continuing a short distance, we encountered a tunnel under construction. After detouring a short way, an unexpected cliff-road appeared, but the smooth asphalt road turned into gravel under repair...
After passing through the cliff road, we turned onto Taihang No. 1 Road at Hongti Village, followed by well-maintained asphalt roads with pleasant scenery. Driving to the end, we reached Provincial Road 324 along the north bank of the Zhuozhang River. Unfortunately, we hit a traffic jam, with endless trucks ahead. Nearby Houbi Village had a Jin dynasty Huilong Temple, so we decided to visit it while waiting for the jam to ease.
Huilong Temple has an existing Jin dynasty Buddhist hall, facing south, single-eave, with overhanging gable roof, three bays wide, four rafters deep, nearly square in plan. The bracket sets are four-puzuo, with upward-angling cantilevers. The beam frame uses a three-rafter beam with a diagonal brace and three columns. The hall does not use architrave plates directly; the bracket sets sit on column tops. The tie beams do not extend beyond corner columns. The column-top brackets use cicada-belly real rafter ends. The cantilevers have a unique hybrid of real and false cantilevers, a valuable example of local architectural techniques. Inside, there are over 50 sq m of fine-brush, light-colored Qing dynasty murals. The main wall features scenes from 'Journey to the West,' showing Zhu Bajie carrying 'Western Heaven scriptures.' The east gable wall, from south to north, depicts an old man with a dragon-head staff and a fly whisk in his right hand, the Heavenly King of Holding the Realm, the Heavenly King with a Pagoda, and two young men with fly whips driving horses loaded with books. Huilong Temple has many unique or singular construction practices, reflecting the diversity of local architecture in the Song-Jin period and the creativity of folk craftsmen. Unfortunately, the gate was locked, and we couldn't find contact information for the caretaker; we only took a few photos from higher ground.
After a quick look at Huilong Temple, we rested in the shade behind the hall and ate some dry food, but the traffic jam on the provincial road persisted. Fortunately, a clever companion noticed on the map a small road along the south bank of the Zhuozhang River outside the village that might bypass the jam. We drove there and it perfectly avoided the congestion. Turning north onto County Road 012, we soon arrived at Longmen Temple, surrounded by mountains with excellent feng shui!
Longmen Temple (Five Dynasties to Qing) is located on the mountainside of Longmen Mountain, 65 km northwest of Pingshun County town. The terrain is steep cliffs, shaped like a dragon gate, hence the name. It was first built in the Northern Qi Tianbao era and later expanded and renovated. The existing layout has a three-courtyard central axis, with east and west meditation halls and scripture rooms forming separate areas. The temple buildings include: the mountain gate (Jin dynasty), three bays with overhanging gable roof, a central column row dividing the beam frame into front and back sections, elegant and simple. Existing Jin dynasty mountain gates are rare in China; besides Longmen Temple, only Kaihua Temple in Gaoping (1141), Shanhua Temple in Datong (1149), Guandi Temple in Jiyuan (1162), and Cheng Tang Temple in Shexian (1164) remain. The main hall (Song dynasty, built in 1098) is three bays square, with a nine-ridge roof, five-puzuo brackets, single cantilever and single up-angled cantilever, with bamboo-shaped tips; the tail of the cantilever is pressed under the beam. The small octagonal stone columns have inscriptions verifying the construction date. The glazed ridge beasts on the roof are of Yuan dynasty manufacture. The west side hall (Five Dynasties, Later Tang, built in 925) is three bays with four rafters and an overhanging gable roof. The column tops are gently curved, without architrave plates; under the eaves, only one jump of bracket arm is used, with a small bracket head inside the bowl-shaped block, simple and elegant. The interior frame uses a camel hump and large block on the four-rafter beam to support the top beam, with diagonal braces and a melon column and fork hands. The beam surface is slightly crescent-shaped, similar to Nanchan Temple in Wutai, plain and beautiful. This is the only surviving example of a Five Dynasties wooden overhanging-gable-roof hall in the country. The rear hall (Yuan dynasty) is three bays square with six rafters and an overhanging gable roof, with five-puzuo brackets and double downward cantilevers. Although the beams are Ming dynasty replacements, they follow Song-Jin tradition in using natural logs, with irregular cross-sections. The east side hall, side rooms, verandas, and meditation courtyards are all Ming-Qing reconstructions, dignified in appearance, with delicate carvings and more ornate doors and windows. The temple houses architecture from six dynasties (Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing) within one complex, extremely rare among existing Chinese temples.
In terms of ancient Chinese architecture, examples before the Song are extremely scarce. Known surviving wooden structures include:
Tang: 3 - Nanchan Temple Main Hall, Mount Wutai, Shanxi (782); Guangren Wang Temple Main Hall, Ruicheng, Shanxi (832); Foguang Temple East Main Hall, Mount Wutai (857)
Five Dynasties: 6 - Longmen Temple West Side Hall, Pingshun (925); Tiantai Temple Main Hall, Pingshun (929); Dayun Temple Amitabha Hall, Pingshun (938); Zhenguo Temple Wanfo Hall, Pingyao (963); Hualin Temple Main Hall, Fuzhou, Fujian (964); Confucian Temple Dacheng Hall, Zhengding, Hebei (inferred Five Dynasties)
Among the above six Five Dynasties structures, five have reliable founding dates from inscriptions, but only Tiantai Temple's date appears on the building itself. The other four use the temple's founding year as a reference for the oldest building. Even if dated by structure, these four are no later than Song, so the Five Dynasties reference is highly valuable.
When Zhenguo Temple Wanfo Hall and Hualin Temple Main Hall were built, the Song dynasty had already been established for a few years but had not yet unified China. Since Northern Han and Wuyue were still independent kingdoms, they are classified as Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms architecture.
After a quick tour of the ancient temple, we returned to Provincial Road 324 heading west. Next was Dayun Temple, the only extant Five Dynasties temple mural in the country.
Driving west on Road 324 for less than 30 km, Dayun Temple was located on the mountainside north of Huishi Village, up a fork.
Dayun Temple (Five Dynasties - Ming-Qing) was first built in the 3rd year of Tianfu of Later Jin (938). In the 8th year of Taiping Xingguo of Northern Song (983), it was renamed 'Dayun Chan Temple' by imperial decree. The existing two-courtyard layout, except for the Amitabha Hall (Five Dynasties original), all other buildings are Ming-Qing reconstructions. The Amitabha Hall was built in the 5th year of Tianfu (940) and is one of the six discovered Five Dynasties buildings in China. Inside, murals remain on the east wall and the screen wall. The east wall depicts 'Vimalakirti Sutra Transformation,' and the screen wall shows 'Western Pure Land Transformation.' Unfortunately, preservation is poor, with colors and lines blurred. However, these are the only surviving Five Dynasties mural works outside Dunhuang. Pregolden-era temple murals in China exist only at Foguang Temple (Tang), Dayun Temple (Five Dynasties), Kaihua Temple (Song), Zhadang Temple (Tibetan), Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (Liao), Chongfu Temple (Jin), and Yanshan Temple (Jin). This underscores Dayun Temple's crucial position in Chinese mural history. Southwest of the temple stands an octagonal stone Seven-Treasure Pagoda, built in the 1st year of Xiande of Later Zhou (954), a rare Five Dynasties stone pagoda work. Unfortunately, in 2000, thieves pulled it down and stole some carved artworks; it was restored from fragments in 2004.
The east wall mural of the Vimalakirti Sutra Transformation, though severely damaged by age, shows a well-composed layout overall, fine craftsmanship, smooth line drawing, and harmonious coloring. It is a rare ancient art masterpiece. In my personal opinion, the workmanship surpasses that of other ancient temple murals such as Kaihua Temple, Qinglong Temple, Yongle Temple, and Jiyi Temple!
After visiting Dayun Temple's national treasures, it was already 5 PM. Fortunately, the next must-see ancient building, Tiantai Temple, was nearby in Wangqu Village, less than 20 minutes away, so we were on time.
Wangqu Village, where Tiantai Temple is located, is an ancient village on the ancient official road from Henan to Jinyang. This road once connected Linzhou in Henan through Pingshun, Lucheng, and Licheng counties to Lu'an Prefecture and then to the ancient city of Jinyang. Wangqu Village was a large settlement along the road, stretching two or three li, with remnants of shops still visible.
Under the eaves of the main hall, a type of bracket set called 'Doukou Tiao' was used by architectural master Liang Sicheng as an example in his 'Annotations on the Building Standards,' showing Tiantai Temple's significance in architectural history.
Besides its architectural value, Tiantai Temple was a branch temple of the Tiantai school of Chinese Buddhism. Tiantai is the earliest Chinese Buddhist school, integrating northern and southern doctrines of philosophy and meditation, influencing later schools. The founder, Master Zhiyi, lived long on Mount Tiantai in Zhejiang, hence the school's name. The remote Tiantai Temple in Pingshun, Shanxi, was one of its branch temples, with many stories.
As for why the turtle carrying the stele has a twisted head, there is a legend. A Tiantai master from Zhejiang once preached at this small temple. His teachings were so vivid that the turtle outside, after a long time, gained spirituality. One day, captivated by the excellent dharma, the turtle involuntarily twisted its neck towards the hall to listen more closely.
Compared to 12 years ago, the hall has been restored to its original simplicity and antiquity, more weighty and historical than the contemporaneous but renovated Longmen Temple West Side Hall and Dayun Temple. Unknowingly, it grew dark. Looking back at the simple hall and upturned eaves, I felt the same excitement as when I first saw it!
Shanxi Pingshun, Changzhi Tips:
A. External Transportation - Good roads from Yecheng Town, Henan to Xiuding Temple Pagoda and Rainbow Village; just follow navigation. Scenic views entering Shanxi's Taihang Mountains. For Rainbow Village to Longmen Temple, it's recommended to take the shorter provincial road. Except for a short gravel section at a tunnel under construction, the rest is good asphalt road, mainly along Shanxi's Taihang No. 1 colored tourist road, picturesque. The gravel section includes a memorable cliff road. If congestion is expected on Provincial Road 324 near Longmen Temple, the small road along the south bank of the Zhuozhang River near Houbi Village is a perfect detour. From Longmen Temple to other sites and Changzhi, just follow navigation; however, when going to Dayun Temple, you pass through a village and might take a wrong turn; ask for directions.
B. Internal Access at Sites - All destinations for the day can be driven to near the entrance. Dayun Temple charged admission 12 years ago; Longmen Temple also does now. Tiantai Temple is still free but the gate is managed by a caretaker. Park in Wangqu Village, ask locals to contact the caretaker, who will come and let you in for a small fee. At Dayun Temple, the caretaker may offer a guided tour for an additional fee, which is worthwhile; under the explanation, the faded Five Dynasties murals become vivid and clear. Also, despite the plain appearance, the caretaker had professional knowledge about ancient architecture and answered my questions about the structure, very rewarding. Finally, if time allows, the nearby Yuanqi Temple on the road back to Changzhi from Wangqu Village is worth a visit.
- Yuanqi Temple (12-year-old photo) -
National key cultural relic protection unit. Located on the peak of Fenghuang Mountain in Xinyi Village, Xiahuang Township, 22 km northeast of Lucheng City. The terrain commands a view, imposing and magnificent. Built in the 6th year of Tianbao of Tang (747). The temple has a brick railing wall, with a three-bay Buddha hall, glazed nine-ridge roof, flying eaves and brackets, elegant and simple, in Song architectural style. In front of the hall, four square stone columns support an incense pavilion. The front columns are inscribed: 'Mist confuses the pagoda shadow, smoke confuses the temple; evening hears the bell sound, night hears the tide.' The rear columns read: 'Flying pavilion flows with cinnabar reaching extreme ground; layered peaks emerald green surmounting the sky.' To the west stands the Great Sage Pagoda, also called Qinglong Pagoda, built in the 2nd year of Yuanyou of Northern Song (1087), over 900 years old. The pagoda is octagonal, 16 m in circumference, with a sandstone base. A south-facing door is sealed at the top, not climbable. Seven stories, 17 m high, each story tapers, with brick brackets of five-puzuo double cantilevers, using 45-degree corner brackets and atypical brackets to support brick eaves, with board tiles on the projecting eaves. Each corner has two iron bells, 56 in total. The top has eight iron figures, and the spire is a lotus vase. Majestic, ancient, and elegant. It is a rare Song dynasty dense-eave brick pagoda. In front of the temple stands an octagonal stone dharani pillar, Tang dynasty, inscribed with the dharani sutra and records of the pillar and temple construction. The base has eight musician figures, graceful.
Legend says that during the Tang, it was believed that the empire would be lost to a Wu surname. Emperor Taizong expelled Wu Zetian from the palace. Later, Prince Li Zhi (Emperor Gaozong) brought her back, making her empress, and she eventually became emperor, changing the dynasty to Zhou. Twenty years later, Emperor Xuanzong, great-grandson of Li Zhi, fearing the Li family's throne might fall again, searched the land and discovered Fenghuang Mountain by the Zhang River. There was a legend of a fairy turning into a phoenix, and people believed the place was auspicious for a female noble. Xuanzong ordered a temple built on the mountain to suppress this, naming it Yuanqi Temple, meaning 'restart the Tang empire.'
C. Food - The day's itinerary is tight. It's advisable to bring dry food for lunch during breaks. If you want a meal, consider a farmhouse meal in Rainbow Village; next, there will be decent small restaurants on Provincial Road 324 past Longmen Temple. For dinner in Changzhi, find a local restaurant near the hotel for regional dishes and Shanxi noodles; many choices.
D. Accommodation - Changzhi has various grades of hotels, generally affordable. Book according to next day's itinerary.
On the fourth day, we basically retraced the route of 12 years ago in reverse. I was full of anticipation for Kaihua Temple and Chongqing Temple, which I had been unable to enter last time!
Like the Small Western Paradise (Xiaoxitian) that sparked this trip, the Guanyin Hall in the northern outskirts of Changzhi is another outstanding example of Ming dynasty suspended sculptures. The three walls inside the Guanyin Hall, as well as the roof beams and above doors and windows, are covered with painted clay figures and suspended sculptures. The small three-bay hall houses about 500 statues, with painted sculptures and suspended ones interspersed, blending Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. They sit on altars, lean against walls, or hang from rafters. Twelve years ago, the entire suspended sculpture was fully open for close viewing, but now a dense wire mesh (to prevent birds) blocks the view, which is very unfriendly!
Leaving Guanyin Hall, Faxing Temple is about an hour south of Changzhi on Cuiyun Mountain in Zhangzi County.
Faxing Temple faces south, originally a three-courtyard complex. From south to north, the central axis includes the Relic Pagoda, Yuanjue Hall, and Rear Hall. The temple was founded in the 1st year of Shending of Later Liang during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (401 AD) under the name Cilin Temple. In the 1st year of Shangyuan of Tang (674), it was renamed Guangde Temple. In the Song dynasty, it was changed to Faxing Temple. The existing Yuanjue Hall is the largest building, rebuilt in the 4th year of Yuanfeng of Northern Song (1081). The Buddha altar was rebuilt the following year, and the statues were created in the 1st year of Zhenghe (1111). The hall is three bays deep and wide, with six rafters and an overhanging gable roof, using three columns through the entire span. The bracket sets are six-puzuo, with a single cantilever and double downward cantilevers in bamboo-shaped style. The doors are stone-framed with wooden panels. The inner and outer columns and the golden columns are all small octagonal stone columns carved with entwined branch patterns. The front eaves stone wall is carved with animal and lotus patterns, finely crafted. The door lintel bears an inscription. The Thousand Buddha Hall of Chongqing Temple and the Bodhisattva Hall of Faxing Temple, both Song dynasty buildings in Zhangzi, have ingenious beam frames and beautiful forms, with exquisite and compact statues, preserving Song dynasty coloring intact. The superb skill, likely from a master's hand, shows the remarkable achievements of Song craftsmanship, earning the title 'Crown of Song Sculptures.' Unfortunately, this time, the entire temple was under major renovation, with gates locked. I'll revisit my impressions from 12 years ago.
Faxing Temple was originally located on Cilin Mountain, 17 km southeast of Zhangzi County, Changzhi City, Shanxi, with beautiful scenery. Due to coal mining subsidence, with approval from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, it was relocated to Cuiyun Mountain opposite the original site, on the northern slope of Cuizhuang Village, Cilin Town. The relocation began in 1984 and took 12 years.
In front of Yuanjue Hall stands a stone Burning Lamp Pagoda (also called long-lasting lamp), one of the six types of Buddhist offerings, also known as a lamp pillar or lamp stand. The pagoda is small but well-preserved, octagonal, 2.04 m high, with a pedestal, crabapple Sumeru base, body, and eight-slope octagonal pyramidal top with spire in lotus bud and jewel form. The body has four doors and four windows with hollow interiors. The corner pillars are carved as lotus-clustered columns, supporting bracket sets and eaves. The doors are rectangular openwork, windows are lattice-closed, and the waist bears eight musician figures. The pillars bear the inscription: 'In the 8th year of Dali of Tang (773), the devotee Dong Xixuan reverently made a long-lasting lamp stand at this temple.' The structure is refined, carved delicately, elegant and beautiful, showcasing the high level of Tang stone carving art. It is an important physical relic for studying pre-Tang architectural and stone carving art. Such lamp pagodas exist only here, at the Northern Qi stone lamp stand of Tongzi Temple on Mount Long in Taiyuan, and at the Bohai stone lamp of Longxing Temple in Ning'an, Heilongjiang.
The temple houses six Tang stone pagodas. Among them, the Relic Pagoda built in the 4th year of Xianheng (673) is special. Its plan is a square with a hollow center, 8.8 m per side, with double eaves and two-story pavilion style. Built entirely of stone slabs and blocks, it looks like a square hall, commonly called Stone Hall or Stone Scripture Tower. Inside, a ring of stone slabs supports the second-floor roof, with a relief of an eight-petal lotus caisson in the center, simple and unadorned, in Qi-Sui style.
Next is Chongqing Temple, very close to Faxing Temple, less than 10 km away. Driving east, we soon arrived at the foot of Ziyun Mountain. Continuing up the winding mountain road, we were impressed by the vigorous and varied white-barked pines on the slope. Like 12 years ago, some had died for unknown reasons.
Halfway up the mountain, we reached a temple we had visited 12 years ago (which we thought was Chongqing Temple), but the newly built stone tablet reading 'Lingkuang Wang Temple' (a Ming dynasty temple dedicated to Yi, also called Front Temple) indicated it was different—meaning we had come to the wrong place back then due to lack of signage. No matter, we corrected the mistake this time. Continuing upward, we soon arrived at a site with tourist service facilities outside—the real Chongqing Temple.
Chongqing Temple is backed by peaks like a screen, with pines and cypresses in front. On the hilltop stands a large cursive script stone monument reading 'Ziyun Mountain' written by Fan Zhiwan of the Ming dynasty. The temple was built in the 9th year of Dazhong Xiangfu of Northern Song (1016). It has front and rear courtyards, facing south, with rigorous structure and refined layout. The mountain gate was empty, and the door was locked. We knocked on the side door, and soon a man and a woman, both caretakers, opened it.
Entering the courtyard, the north building is the Thousand Buddha Hall, with beam frames and brackets of Song style. Inside, there are three Buddha statues: Shakyamuni, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, with a Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Guanyin statue behind. The suspended figures on the walls are partially damaged. The east side hall (Reclining Buddha Hall) is destroyed. The west side hall is the Mahasattva Hall (Three Mahasattvas and Eighteen Arhats). Inside are statues of the Three Mahasattvas and Eighteen Arhats from the 2nd year of Yuanfeng of Northern Song (1079), with extremely fine carving, meticulous lines, and high artistic value. The northwest corner is the Kshitigarbha Hall, with early Ming statues of Kshitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell, well crafted. On the central axis is the Heavenly Kings Hall, with four majestic and imposing Heavenly Kings.
The Mahasattva Hall, commonly called Arhat Hall, has a low altar with three Bodhisattvas: Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra. All are female figures, wearing jeweled crowns, flowing capes, and long robes, with delicate features and half-closed eyes, sitting sideways on lotus pedestals borne by their respective mythical mounts. The Bodhisattva images began to transform from lofty gods to ordinary humans, a characteristic of Buddhist sculpture developing into the Song dynasty. Flanking the Bodhisattvas are the Eighteen Arhats, about life-size, with plump muscles, robust bones, smooth and flowing drapery, and vivid, natural expressions. Professor Qian Shaowu of the Central Academy of Fine Arts praised them as the 'Crown of Song Sculptures.'
Unfortunately, in 1991, 13 Song and Ming dynasty painted statue heads from the Mahasattva Hall, Thousand Buddha Hall, and Yama Hall of Chongqing Temple were stolen. The thieves, finding the Three Mahasattvas severely damaged by age and cannot be removed, pushed them over, shattering them into pieces. Soon, all 13 stolen heads were recovered and restored. However, the bodies of the Three Mahasattvas were too broken to repair; they were recreated as modern works in Song style.
After viewing the statues in the three main halls of Chongqing Temple, the next key site for the day was Kaihua Temple, where I had missed the Song dynasty murals 12 years ago.
Kaihua Temple is about 25 km from Chongqing Temple, about 35 minutes south. Twelve years ago, it was empty.
This time, there were a few cars in the square at the foot of the mountain, indicating visitors. After parking, we climbed the steep steps to the mountainside, where the majestic Dabei Hall mountain gate appeared! Four visitors were already touring. We greeted the caretaker and eagerly entered the courtyard.
Kaihua Temple was founded in the Later Tang of the Five Dynasties. The Mahavira Hall was built in the 6th year of Xining of Northern Song (1073), with many renovations in later dynasties. The pavilion-style mountain gate is called Dabei Pavilion. In the center of the rear courtyard is the Northern Song Mahavira Hall, with side halls on east and west.
Through the thick arched mountain gate, the first thing that caught the eye was the Song-dynasty Mahavira Hall, majestic and unadorned.
The Mahavira Hall is three bays wide and deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, stable structure. The front and back eaves open with doors in the central bay; the side bays of the front eaves have large lattice windows. The eaves columns bear inscriptions of donors and dates. The beam frames and brackets inside bear the best-preserved Song dynasty colored paintings in China. The west wall Buddhist story mural is complete and exquisite, covering 88.2 square meters.
After discussing with the caretaker, we were allowed through an iron gate, and the Song dynasty murals finally appeared before us!
The hall faces south. The murals are distributed on the east and west walls, the two side bays of the north wall, and the arch-shaped wall above the doors, totaling 88.68 sq m. The design follows the clockwise circumambulation of the hall, starting from the south end of the west wall, ending at the south end of the east wall. The entire mural set is based on three sutras: the Sutra of the Great Skillful Means of the Buddha's Filial Piety and Repayment of Kindness, the Sutra of the Buddha's Explanation of Maitreya's Rebirth in the Tushita Heaven (abbreviated as Maitreya Rebirth Sutra), and the Avatamsaka Sutra. Each sutra has a central preaching scene, totaling nine panels. The west wall and the west side of the north wall have four panels from the Repayment of Kindness Sutra. The east side of the north wall has one panel from the Maitreya Rebirth Sutra. The east wall has four panels from the Avatamsaka Sutra. From temple inscriptions, we learned that the murals began in the 3rd year of Shaosheng of Northern Song (1096), painted by a craftsman named Guo Fa, presenting Buddhist teachings in a comic-strip style. The most vivid is the 'Execution Ground' on the west wall, depicting a crowd within a few dozen centimeters, reflecting Song dynasty life.
Sutra transformation murals are common in Buddhist art, but these three sutras together in one place is unique. The Repayment of Kindness Sutra is narrative, often seen. The Maitreya Rebirth Sutra is rare in mural form; similar content can be found in book frontispieces. The Avatamsaka Sutra is vast, complex, and obscure, difficult to depict; common transformation scenes are simple preaching scenes under 'Seven Places and Nine Assemblies.' However, Kaihua Temple's murals are not a simple juxtaposition. Scholars have found connections between them, especially between the Maitreya Rebirth Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra, indicating the designer's deep understanding of scriptures and doctrine. The Avatamsaka Sutra is daunting, and the murals are unfinished with empty cartouches; the east wall is heavily damaged, so academic study is limited, but existing findings are remarkable—its interpretation of doctrine is unique among such murals. - Excerpt from Jinjian Humanities
On the west wall, centered on a preaching scene, there are three panels; continuing to the north wall adds one panel, totaling four, depicting the Repayment of Kindness Sutra transformation. Around the four preaching scenes are nine stories from the Sutra of Repayment of Kindness, comprising 61 scenes, with 9 having cartouche inscriptions and 52 with empty cartouches. These four panels seem like illustrations for the sutra; reading the sutra while viewing makes the stories leap off the wall. The figures' headdresses and buildings extensively use gilding and raised gold, making the whole resplendent, a masterpiece among surviving Song dynasty murals. There are inscriptions by Song officials on stone pillars in the rear hall, but we couldn't explore them as the caretaker was eager to return for dinner.
The first panel derives from the first chapter of the Repayment of Kindness Sutra, on the origins of the sutra, depicting the place where the Buddha preached (on the seven-jeweled lotus on Mount Gridhrakuta) and the attendees (eightfold divisions, humans, non-humans, gods, monks, nuns, donors, Buddhas of the four directions) exactly as described, transforming dry text into images. Around the preaching scene are the stories 'Ananda Praises Filial Piety' and 'The Story of Prince Sunakshatra.'
The second panel comes from the third chapter, on the Buddha's attainment of Buddhahood through filial piety and his continued filial conduct after enlightenment. It includes the story of 'The Patient Prince' as a former life of the Buddha, and the story of the Buddha going to Trayastrimsa Heaven to preach to his mother Maya for ninety days, and King Udayana making a sandalwood statue of the Buddha. The third panel derives from the fourth chapter, on the conflict between the good elder brother and the evil younger brother, showing the Buddha's forgiveness and compassion. On the left and right sides of the preaching scene, the story of the Good Elder Brother is told.
The Repayment of Kindness transformation is the representative work of Kaihua Temple's murals, mostly intact, and is the essence of such transformation narratives. Especially the story panels, though Buddhist tales, are nothing less than a reproduction of Song dynasty secular life. The Buddhist stories originate from ancient India, but these scenes contain almost no foreign elements—they are purely Song daily life, offering a window into the ancient world like photographs.
Approximately 37 surviving works of the Repayment of Kindness Sutra exist: two silk paintings in the British Museum, 32 murals in Dunhuang Mogao Caves, 3 in Anxi Yulin Caves, 1 in Kaiping (Kaihua Temple), and 2 in Dazu Rock Carvings. The murals in Mogao Cave 148 and Cave 4 are severely damaged; the niche in Dazu Baodingshan Small Buddha Bay is a miniature of the main niche.
After a quick look at the hall and murals, we exited the mountain gate, rested, and chatted with the other four visitors, who were also ancient architecture and humanities enthusiasts, from Guangzhou and Beijing. It was a case of meeting by fate across a thousand li! From two friends who came from Beijing, we learned that the Jade Emperor Temple was closed for renovation, so we couldn't visit. We had to adjust our itinerary and head directly to Qinglian Temple, leaving some regrets!
Kaihua Temple is 60 km from Qinglian Temple; driving south took about an hour.
Now we had to park at the parking lot by the Dan River bridge at the foot of the mountain, then climb stone steps to the ancient Qinglian Temple.
Originally, there was only the lower temple (also called ancient temple). Later, as the temple flourished, a new temple was built halfway up the mountain—the upper temple. Legend says that most of the sutras that Xuanzang had not finished translating were annotated and commented on here, with over 5,000 volumes stored, all lost in the vicissitudes of time. Additionally, the founders of major Buddhist schools like Pure Land, Tiantai, and Huayan all emerged from Qinglian Temple, earning it the title 'Buddha Capital.' Looking up from the lower temple's mountain gate, the main peak of Jueshan Mountain across the river is clearly visible. In the Northern Qi Tianbao era (550-559), the monk Huiyuan established a practice center here, founding the temple named 'Xiashi Temple.' After over 1,400 years of destruction and reconstruction, the main buildings of the lower temple are the Main Hall and the South Hall. The surviving Tang painted sculptures on the main hall altar are one of only three remaining Tang temple sculpture groups (the other two at Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple). The figures are rounded and serene, embodying the grand and peaceful Tang style. The South Hall houses 12 painted sculptures. A Tang stele inside, the 'Record of Master Huiyuan of Xiashi Temple in Sui,' has a diagram of the temple on its head (also called Maitreya Preaching Scene), showing the complete Tang layout of the temple. West of the lower temple, 70 meters away, is the Huifeng Chan Master Pagoda, an octagonal stone pagoda built in the 2nd year of Qianning of Tang (895).
The temple also contains a Ming dynasty pagoda, visible from below. The upper temple has three courtyards. The first courtyard features a pavilion-style scripture repository. In temple architecture, scripture repositories are usually in the back, so placing it in the first courtyard is rare. The Shakyamuni Hall in the second courtyard is a Northern Song building, with four Song painted sculptures on the altar. On the back wall below the Arhat Hall is an inscription from the 8th year of Zhenghe of Northern Song (1118) titled 'Arhat Stele Record,' listing the names of the Sixteen Arhats and the Five Hundred Arhats. This is the first complete record of the Five Hundred Arhats in Chinese history. The thousand-year-old male and female ginkgo trees and the 'Son Embracing Mother' ancient cypress in the last courtyard are other wonders of the ancient temple.
The scripture repository of the upper Qinglian Temple is a two-story structure. The first floor's woodwork and brickwork are Qing dynasty style, but under the second-floor eaves, real upward-angling cantilevers protrude from a very ancient beam frame. No Song or Jin structures are similar, but comparable examples exist among surviving Tang structures. Some scholars therefore consider this hall as another Tang structure. Among the few surviving Tang buildings, one can find one with exactly the same beam-bracket structure and a clear founding date, while many Five Dynasties and Northern Song buildings show no such application, fitting the structural dating principle of 'present in the previous age, absent in the next,' indicating this beam-bracket structure was no longer used by Song. This is a strong reason to date the repository as Tang. The famous couple Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin had long wanted to investigate this site but missed opportunities time and again due to wars. After liberation, they had no time or energy for fieldwork, leaving the dating as a great regret.
The painted sculptures in the rear hall of the ancient Qinglian Temple display both the 'Cao's style of clinging garments' and the 'Zhou's style of plump, delicate beauty' from the mid-to-late Tang, appearing simpler and more ancient than the contemporaneous sculptures of Nanchan Temple and Foguang Temple, making them masterpieces of Tang painted sculptures. The Maitreya Buddha here and the one in the East Main Hall of Foguang Temple are representative of Sui-Tang clay Maitreya statues, and Maitreya Pure Land is rarer than Amitabha Pure Land, making them extremely precious. The exact date of the rear hall painted sculptures is uncertain, but they are generally considered not later than the 8th year of Xiantong of Tang (867), when the temple received its imperial name. The renowned ancient architecture expert Chai Zejun opined that 'the painted sculptures in the rear hall are works of the late Sui or early Tang, possibly the oldest extant temple painted sculptures in Shanxi.'
After visiting the upper Qinglian Temple, we found a newly built Ancient Architecture Museum in the east wing, screening relevant documentaries in a loop. We sat down to rest and watch. The films, combined with the buildings, sculptures, and mountains outside, created a feeling of traveling through a thousand years.
When the documentary ended, it was nearly sunset, time to leave. The nearby Jade Emperor Temple, a masterpiece of ancient sculpture, was closed due to renovation, so we had to skip it. Below, I share photos from my visit 12 years ago.
The Jade Emperor Temple is actually on the northern hill of Fucheng Village, Jin Village Town, 18 km northwest of Qinglian Temple.
- Xinjiang Hall -
- Xinjiang Catholic Church -
- Sima Guang Tomb -
- Guangren Wang Temple -
- To be continued -
Travelogue Table of Contents:
1. Overview of itinerary route
2. Day3: Time travel across the Taihang - dialogue with ancient architecture and murals standing for millennia
3. Day4: Faxing Temple and Jade Emperor Temple lost but not regretted, Kaihua Temple and Chongqing Temple no longer regretted
4. Day5: Erxian Temple - Song dynasty charm and exquisite painting in a small village, unique Ming murals of Jiyi Temple
5. Day6: Fencheng Town - an unexpected time gate and national treasure Guangsi Temple
6. Day7: The suspended sculpture celestial masterpiece of Small Western Paradise and exquisite water route murals of Qinglong Temple
7. Day8: Natural wonder of a cultural holy land - Yunqiu Mountain's ten-thousand-year ice cave
8. Day9: The overwhelming wonder of Yongle Temple murals and the surprising Guangren Wang Temple
9. Day10: The pinnacle of grotto art - Longmen Grottoes
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