Xiangyuan Cisheng Temple

Xiangyuan Cisheng Temple

Xiangyuan Cisheng Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xiangyuan Cisheng Temple is located in Xiangyuan Village, Xiangyuan Township, Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, covering an area of 7,041 square meters. According to the Pingyao County Annals from the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, it was renovated during the Zhi Zheng years of the Yuan Dynasty. Temple steles record that it was rebuilt in the third year of the Yuanshun era (1332) and the meditation courtyard was restored in the fifty-fifth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1790).

The temple faces south and has a two-courtyard layout. Existing structures include the main hall, east and west side halls, west small hall, main rooms of the east and west meditation courtyards, east and west wing rooms of the west meditation courtyard, and a stage. The main hall is a Ming Dynasty structure, three bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof. It features four rafters connected front and back with through-rafters using four columns, and five-puzuo double downward ang outer eaves brackets. The central bay has one rice-character shaped bracket set, and the roof is covered with gray tiles edged with glazed square tiles. The beam and bracket paintings inside the hall are relatively well preserved, though most murals are covered with white lime. The east and west side halls each have five bays and feature six-rafter front-porch hanging-gable roofs. The front eaves brackets are one-dou-two-sheng with play heads, with one each at the column tops and intercolumnar spaces, and the central melon bracket supports the prop wood. The roof is covered with tubular and flat tiles, featuring scalloped drip tiles and floral ridges. The east side hall’s porch wall and beams also have painted decorations.

The stage is located 40 meters south of the mountain gate, facing north. It is formed by four front eaves columns creating the stage opening and side wings, is five rafters deep, and has a rolled shed flush gable roof. The front central and secondary bays’ column tops support a large horizontal beam. Above the beam are five-cai single-ang brackets, with inner and outer pulling brackets supporting double rafters. The intercolumnar brackets consist of two in the central bay and one ruyi-style bracket in each secondary bay, with the arch bodies and heads featuring half-openwork floral carvings. The bracket-eye walls are filled with floral panels, and the beams are painted. South of the west side hall stands a single west small hall with a double-slope flush gable front porch.

The west meditation courtyard currently has three front-porch cave dwellings as the main building and five side rooms each on the east and west. The east meditation courtyard has a five-bay main building. The temple grounds also house one Yuan Dynasty and one Qing Dynasty restoration stele, plus four ancient cypress trees.

Xiangyuan Cisheng Temple retains a largely intact layout and holds significant historical value.

In May 2013, Xiangyuan Cisheng Temple was designated as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Xiangyuan Village, Xiangyuan Township, Pingyao County

Xiangyuan Village: Xiangyuan Village

Xiangyuan Village is the seat of Xiangyuan Township and serves as its political, economic, and cultural center. Located on flatland, it lies 15 kilometers north of the county town. Legend has it that the village was originally named Dong Sangyuan and Xi Sangyuan. During the Jiaqing era of the Ming Dynasty, a wandering monk observed the village and said, “For prosperity, the small temple between the two villages must be turned into a grand temple.” The villagers agreed but lacked funds, so the monk offered to help. They then appointed a manager surnamed Zhao from Beibao to commence construction. The Cishen Grand Temple was completed in the Year of the Dragon and Wu, and on June 28th, an opera performance marked its consecration. The villages of Dong Sangyuan, Xi Sangyuan, and Nan Zhuang were merged into one, which the monk named Xiangyuan after giving it a felicitous name. The village has 7... More details about Xiangyuan Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units