Qingxu Temple

Qingxu Temple

Qingxu Temple is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Qingxu Temple is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit and the largest Taoist temple in Pingyao Ancient City. It was first built in the second year of the Xianqing era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (657 AD), with a history of over 1,300 years. Covering an area of more than 6,000 square meters, it has three successive courtyards, with structures aligned along the central axis including a memorial archway, a transitional hall, the Dragon-Tiger Hall, the Chunyang Palace, the Three Pure Ones Hall, and finally the Jade Emperor Pavilion.

The first hall you see is the Dragon-Tiger Hall. Its roof is covered with alternating grey-blue interlocking tiles and glazed tiles, giving it a fresh yet unpretentious appearance. Under the eaves, there is a plaque inscribed with “Taiping Xingguo Temple.” The materials used in this hall are simple and rustic, with thick and tall pillars. Below the hall stand two statues, the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, each 4 meters high. These are two of the Four Symbols studied in Taoism and also serve as guardians of the mountain gate. Holding weapons, they exude an imposing aura, as if no one with even the slightest irreverent thought toward Taoism could escape their notice. According to experts, these statues date back to the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Their faces are round and full, their drapery heavy, and the three-in-one principle emphasized in warrior sculptures is handled with great finesse. Techniques such as bas-relief, high relief, round carving, and suspended carving were employed in their creation.

The Dragon-Tiger Hall is five bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. Its four corners are constructed using the hanging-beam and pillar-lifting technique.

The mountain gate of Qingxu Temple is also its main entrance. In Taoism, the “mountain gate” symbolizes the “Three Realms.” Entering the mountain gate means transcending the Three Realms, freeing oneself from worldly troubles, and being able to devote oneself wholeheartedly to spiritual practice. The architectural layout of Qingxu Temple is longitudinal from north to south, with eleven wing rooms on each of the east and west sides, along with side halls. These wing rooms and halls originally enshrined various Taoist deities but were destroyed after the liberation. The space is now used to house the Pingyao County Museum, which, in addition to preserving original Taoist relics, also features exhibitions on Pingyao’s history and various cultural treasures.

Taoism is a religion native to China, inheriting elements of shamanism, Confucianism, Mohism, the School of Naturalists, and the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, while also absorbing foreign influences such as Buddhism and Manichaeism, forming a broad and colorful religious art form.

Taoism is a rather unique religion within the world’s religious systems. Buddhism advocates for the afterlife, Christianity emphasizes the worship of God, whereas Taoism pursues immortality and boldly promotes the idea of being born with heaven and earth, shining with the sun and moon, and sharing eternal life with the cosmos. Taoism advocates self-improvement through moral cultivation and physical fitness. It does not recognize gods but instead emphasizes human effort to achieve transcendence and seek survival.

The main structure in the central courtyard is the Chunyang Palace, which enshrines Lü Dongbin, the patriarch of the Northern Five Patriarchs school of Taoism (also known as Lü Yan, styled Chunyangzi). He was a famous Taoist priest from Yongji, Shanxi, during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. Legend has it that in his youth, he was well-read in classical texts but failed the imperial examinations several times. He then wandered the world until one day, while drinking in Chang’an, he met Zhongli Quan, who taught him the art of prolonging life. So why is Lü Dongbin enshrined so prominently at Qingxu Temple? There is a legend behind it:

During the Qing Dynasty, an old man with peculiar appearance and behavior visited Qingxu Temple. The Taoist priests reported this to the abbot. By the time the abbot came out, the old man had vanished without a trace. After careful questioning, the abbot felt the man closely resembled Lü Dongbin but wasn’t certain. Later, five characters were found on the rooftop of the Jade Emperor Pavilion in the back courtyard of Qingxu Temple: “一心二人仁” (One Heart, Two People, Benevolence). The abbot identified the handwriting as undoubtedly belonging to Lü Dongbin. This confirmed that Lü Dongbin had indeed manifested his presence at Qingxu Temple. Consequently, the county magistrate at the time, Cai Liangmao, inscribed a plaque reading “Qingxu Immortal’s Footprints” on the front of the temple’s memorial archway, and it was listed as one of the twelve scenic spots of the county. Lü Dongbin is a deity embodying the spirits of poetry, swordsmanship, and wine. He eradicated evil, protected the people, healed the sick, and dispelled disasters, earning the deep respect of the populace. Thus, he is enshrined high above. Please look at the statue in the shrine—his kind face gazes upward, he wears the Chunyang cap, dons a yellow robe, and has the appearance of an immortal. Every year on the 14th day of the fourth lunar month, Lü Dongbin’s birthday, worshippers flock to the temple to offer prayers, seeking his blessings and experiencing his compassionate aura. Over the years, this became the temple fair of Qingxu Temple. When Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi passed through Pingyao on their way to Chang’an, they also visited Qingxu Temple. They not only worshipped Lü Dongbin but also tried their hand at divination, hoping for a prosperous year ahead.

Passing through the Chunyang Palace leads to the main hall of Qingxu Temple—the Three Pure Ones Hall, a Ming Dynasty structure. It enshrines the three highest deities of Taoism: Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun (Jade Purity Primordial Heavenly Worthy), Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun (Upper Purity Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy), and Taiqing Daode Tianzun (Great Purity Moral Heavenly Worthy). Taoism believes that the “Three Pure Ones” are the manifestations of the “Tao” in three different periods. Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun presides over the chaotic period before the division of Yin and Yang, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun presides over the period when Yin and Yang began to divide and heaven and earth took form, and Taiqing Daode Tianzun presides over the period of the creation of all things (another interpretation holds that the Three Pure Ones are manifestations of Laozi, who, to help people better understand him, transformed himself into the Three Pure Ones). These three statues are made with wooden frames covered in clay sculpture, standing four meters tall. They appear to be preaching the Tao, with their Taoist robes coated in gold, and their drapery rendered naturally, giving a sense of flowing movement. Their figures are tall and slender, with richly detailed skin textures and elegant appearances. Their expressions are kind, their postures solemn, creating a mysterious and profound impression. Originally, the statues of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions were enshrined around the Three Pure Ones, but they were later destroyed. Now, over twenty wooden statues are displayed. These wooden sculptures are carved using round, three-dimensional techniques, belonging to the Taoist theme and in the style of the Song and Yuan dynasties. The facial expressions of the figures are vivid, expressive, and delicate, representing a form of art that is relatively close to secular life and rich in human emotion. The proportions of the figures are harmonious, their facial expressions lively, and the coordination of their movements and the lines of their drapery are highly accurate.

Inside the hall is a very special stele called the “Spirit-Penetrating Stele,” also known as the Han Stele. At the bottom of the stele are twenty lines of text written in Mongolian, primarily praising the great achievements of four emperors, including Genghis Khan, in the early Yuan Dynasty. The reverse side is in Chinese, recording the donations made for the construction of Qingxu Temple. This stele is an extremely valuable artifact for studying Mongolian cultural history. Another legend says that this stele is highly spiritual and seeps water droplets whenever it rains or is overcast, hence the name “Spirit-Penetrating Stele.” The east and west corridor courtyards detail the development history of Pingyao from 400 million years ago to 1911.

First Exhibition Room:

Pingyao Ancient City has a long history, and its profound cultural heritage is an important part of the civilization of Shanxi.

Since the earliest ancestors of humanity labored and lived here, it has been marked with a deep cultural imprint, as evidenced by numerous historical facts and relics.

As early as the Stone Age, humans thrived in Pingyao. This map shows the distribution of Neolithic archaeological sites, including those of the Majiayao, Yangshao, and Longshan cultures. Neolithic cultural sites have also been discovered within Pingyao County. The following stone tools and pottery were unearthed in Yingxi Village, Beiyijian Village, and Guoxiu Village in Pingyao County, representing samples of the Yangshao culture. The Yangshao culture was once called the Painted Pottery Culture, typically using gray and dark red as base colors, adorned with various patterns. Longshan culture samples were found in Qiaojia Mountain of Buyi Village, Liangpodi Village in Pingyao County. By this time, the pottery made by ancient humans had significantly improved compared to earlier times, and they had learned to shape pottery through double firing and grinding. The stone tools from this period were more complete in shape and had sharper blades. The continuity and stability of these cultural sites indicate that the ancient humans living in Pingyao at the time led primitive lives of hunting and gathering, living in caves or semi-caves, drilling wood for fire, and gradually progressing as a species.

Around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, primitive humans entered the clan commune period. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor and the Flame Emperor were leaders of tribal alliances in the Yellow River basin. After the Yellow Emperor, three other outstanding tribal alliance leaders—Yao, Shun, and Yu—emerged in succession. At that time, Shanxi was Yao’s fief. This map shows Yao’s activity area, clearly indicating that he frequently traveled in what is now Taiyuan, Qixian, Pingyao, and Linfen. Yao, also known as Tao Tangshi, had a close connection with Pingyao. Yao bestowed the character “Tao” (meaning pottery) to what is now Pingyao and granted “Tang” to Taiyuan, thus giving Pingyao its historical basis and its first place name—“Ancient Pottery.”

At that time, tribal alliance leaders were elected, historically referred to as the “Abdication System.” However, by the 21st century BC, Yu’s son Qi used his acquired power to establish China’s first slave society, replacing the Abdication System with hereditary rule.

The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties marked the beginning of China’s slave society dynasty system, during which humanity achieved unprecedented cultural heights. “Writing, bronze ware, and fortresses” are the symbols of the civilization of the Three Dynasties.

Cultural sites from the Three Dynasties have also been discovered in Qiaojia Mountain, Buyi, and Liangpodi in Pingyao. The discovery of these cultural sites serves as physical evidence of continuous human activity in the region and plays a significant role in exploring Xia culture.

By the Zhou Dynasty, the dynasty was somewhat weaker, and northern ethnic minorities often harassed the south. Between 827 BC and 728 BC, King Xuan of Zhou, Ji Jing, sent General Yin Jifu to campaign north against the Xianyun. For military defense, a rammed-earth wall was built from the west to the north of Pingyao City. To commemorate Yin Jifu, the people of the ancient city built a general platform on the city wall near the Lower East Gate and erected his tomb outside the East Gate.

The historical period of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States eras was a time of great transformation, transitioning from slavery to feudalism. During the Spring and Autumn period, Shanxi was the fief of the Jin State. At this stage, Pingyao’s name was changed to Zhongdu. In 504 BC, Duke Ping of Jin detained the Qi envoy Chen Wuyu in Zhongdu, marking the beginning of the struggle for supremacy between Jin and Qi in the Central Plains. By the Warring States period, the “Three Jins”—Han, Zhao, and Wei—divided the Jin State, giving rise to the “Three Jins Culture” in Shanxi. At this time, Pingyao belonged to the territory of the Zhao State, during the era of the Seven Warring States. In the later stages of the Warring States period, the Qin State gradually became the most powerful among the seven states, continuously annexing neighboring territories. According to *Records of the Grand Historian*, in 361 BC, the Qin army captured the areas of Zhao Zhongdu and Xiyang, corresponding to today’s Pingding. By 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang finally unified the six states, establishing China’s first unified, multi-ethnic, feudal centralized state.

Second Exhibition Room:

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang established China’s first unified, multi-ethnic, feudal centralized state, standardizing currency, writing, and measurements, and implementing the commandery-county system, ushering in the first peak of China’s feudal society.

During the Western Han Dynasty, under the commandery-county system, Pingyao Ancient City was divided into Zhongdu County and Jingling City. The original site of Zhongdu County is in today’s Shuanglin Temple area. *Records of the Grand Historian* states that in the spring of the 11th year of Emperor Gaozu’s reign, Liu Bang defeated Chen Xi’s rebel army, pacifying all of Shanxi. Gaozu then appointed his son Liu Heng as the King of Dai in Shanxi, with his capital set in Zhongdu County of Pingyi. A famous general of Emperor Gaozu, Guan Ying, once stationed troops in Yingxi Village of Pingyi. Later generations built Guan Ying Temple in Yingxi in his honor (legend has it that praying for rain there was very effective).

When Emperor Wu of Han made a northern inspection tour, he visited Zhongdu. Standing on the palace, he saw light radiating in all directions and, delighted, interpreted it as an auspicious omen. He then ordered the pardon of all death-row prisoners in Zhongdu.

The original site of Jingling City is in today’s Yanyangzhuang Village, east of the county seat. During the reign of Emperor Shun of Han, the Xiongnu ethnic group from the north frequently harassed the four provinces of Bing, Liang (Liang), You, and Ji. To protect the safety of the people’s lives and property, the emperor relocated his subjects to the Fen River area in central Bingzhou. At that time, some Qiang and Lai ethnic minorities also migrated to Xiwangzhi in Pingyao, where they settled permanently. About 30 li southeast of the county seat, “Luocheng,” “Laicheng,” and “Qiangcheng” were built.

The period of the Three Kingdoms, Two Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties was a time of social turmoil, with the people suffering greatly from war. This era saw the emergence of many thinkers who advocated for quietism and metaphysics. The “Three Suns” were representative figures of the Two Jin period: Sun Chu, Sun Sheng, and Sun Chuo. Notably, all three were from Zhongdu, hence known as the “Three Suns of Zhongdu.”

The ancient city of Pingyao has a long history. It was known as "Ancient Tao" during the fourth and fifth millennia BCE; during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it was renamed "Zhongdu"; in the Han Dynasty, the two counties of Zhongdu and Jingling were established; by 398 AD, Jingling City was abolished, and Zhongdu County was renamed Pingtao County; in 424 AD, when Emperor Taiwu ascended the throne, to avoid the use of the character "焘" (Tao) in his name "Tuoba Tao," Pingtao was changed to Pingyao, a name that has been used ever since, boasting a history of over 1,500 years.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which was also a period of flourishing Buddhism, large-scale Buddhist-themed carvings began to appear in some temples. Temples in both urban and rural areas of our county similarly preserve cultural relics from this era...

In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the country enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the economy thrived. The ruling class placed great emphasis on religious culture, undertaking large-scale construction projects and building numerous temples. Religious culture and art reached unprecedented heights. Our county still retains locally produced cultural artifacts of considerable quality, such as stone carving artworks, iron cast artworks, architecture, and polychrome sculptures.

As history continued to move forward, leading up to the Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms, Song, Jin, and Yuan periods, this phase was one of warfare for the ancient city of Pingyao, bringing much suffering to its people through numerous battles. By 960 AD, in order to capture Pingyao, Zhao Kuangyin sent his minister Li Jixun to take the city by fire attack.

On September 21 of the lunar calendar in 1126, the Jin general Husahuhu led Jin troops to invade and massacre Pingyao City, resulting in over 5,000 military and civilian casualties. A "Skeleton Stele" erected in the second year of the Huangtong era documents this detailed historical event.

Although this era was marked by continuous warfare, many structures from this period still remain in the ancient city of Pingyao. Located outside the city in Jiguo Village are the Cixiang Temple and Lutai Pagoda from the Jin and Yuan dynasties, the Dacheng Hall of the Confucian Temple from the Jin Dynasty, the Jinzhuang Confucian Temple, Qingxu Guan, and the Wanfo Hall in Zhenguo Temple, which is one of the earliest surviving wooden structures in China.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, cities, prefectures, and counties across the country commonly built city walls according to hierarchical standards, primarily to defend against foreign invasions. The Pingyao City Wall was expanded during this time. In the third year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1370), it was reconstructed on the foundation of the original rammed earth wall, with additional battle platforms and drawbridges added, essentially completing the scale of the ancient city wall. In the early Qing Dynasty, to welcome Emperor Kangxi’s western inspection tour through Pingyao, four large gate towers were constructed on all four sides of the city wall, making the wall even more magnificent.

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, although there were invasions by enemy forces, the city walls initially served their defensive role effectively, preventing any damage to the city itself.

In 1977, Pingyao suffered a once-in-a-century catastrophic flood. The city walls held back the raging waters, protecting the 40,000 residents, factories, and cultural relics within from harm.

During the Ming and Qing periods, the two most famous merchant groups in China were the Shanxi merchants (Jinshang) and the Huizhou merchants (Huishang), and the merchants of Pingyao were an important force among the Jinshang, spread throughout the country. To this day, a popular saying circulates among the people: “Wherever a sparrow can fly, there you will find Pingyao people.” Pingyao had long been an important commodity distribution hub in Shanxi since the Han Dynasty, and after generations of development and urban expansion, wealthy landowners from neighboring counties also came to Pingyao to set up shops, giving rise to the saying “Pingyao City, inexhaustible and bottomless.” By the mid-Qing Dynasty, Pingyao may have been small, but it had everything it needed—money shops, fabric shops, silk shops, pharmacies, inns, opera costume shops, and more, covering nearly every commercial trade. It was widely praised as the “Little Beijing.” With the further development of the commodity economy, major Shanxi merchant firms had formed networked, inter-regional business operations, establishing headquarters in Shanxi and branches elsewhere. This led to increasing volumes of wholesale trade, distribution, and large cash remittances between head offices and branches, between branches, and with clients. Although armed escort agencies (Biaoju) could be used to transport silver, this method was time-consuming, costly, and sometimes unsafe. Under these circumstances, a new payment solution—draft exchange via money shops—was born.

In 1823, based on the Xiyucheng Pigment Shop on Pingyao’s West Avenue, China’s first specialized draft exchange house, “Rishengchang,” was established, with Lei Lutai as its manager. The founding of Rishengchang was a milestone in the history of China’s financial development and the originator of modern banking in China. Rishengchang was the seed of China’s money shops, a seed that not only took root and flourished within Shanxi but also influenced businesses in Yunnan, Zhejiang, and elsewhere to join the ranks of money shops. At the time, there were 51 money shops nationwide, 43 in Shanxi, and 22 in Pingyao alone—a concentration of so many money shops in a single county town was rare throughout the country.

Exhibition Room 3:

The ancient city of Pingyao is an outstanding example of a Han Chinese city from the Ming and Qing periods. The ancient city of Pingyao preserves all its characteristics and presents an extraordinary and complete panorama of cultural, social, economic, and religious development in the context of China’s historical evolution.

—— UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The ancient city of Pingyao was planned and constructed according to the traditional ritual system of the Han people, fully reflecting the historical and cultural features of the Han nationality primarily from the Ming and Qing periods. Although many county towns built according to this ritual model once existed, very few remain today. Nationally speaking, the ancient city of Pingyao is one of only two places where the overall historical and cultural preservation is the richest and most intact, with the most authentic and traditional flavor. One is the ancient city of Pingyao, which reflects the outstanding historical and cultural planning of the Han people, strictly adhering to the principles of “ritual,” emphasizing “squareness, dignity, clear orientation, and central symmetry”; the other is the ancient city of Lijiang, which reflects the prominent historical and cultural elements of ethnic minorities in remote southwestern regions, modeled on the “Tusi” system, with flexible planning that takes advantage of the natural landscape and does not pursue “central alignment” or “standard rules,” highlighting the historical and cultural essence of the Naxi people of Yunnan.

In what aspects is the historical characteristic of the Ming and Qing ancient city of Pingyao based on the “ritual system” mainly reflected?

First, the city is three square li in size: In ancient China, the hierarchy and size of cities were subject to national ritual codes and standards that could not be exceeded. The highest-ranking cities were capitals, nine square li in size; the capitals of feudal lords or later provincial prefectural cities were seven square li for larger ones and five square li for smaller ones; county towns were generally three square li. The ancient city of Pingyao fits precisely within this “ritual” hierarchical standard.

Second, the city layout reflects the concept of “distinguishing direction and orientation.” The concept of “distinguishing direction and orientation” originally comes from the Confucian classic “The Rites of Zhou,” serving as the guiding principle for the planning, construction, and management of capital cities. The ancient city of Pingyao uses South Street as its axis, with the Market Tower as its center, forming a symmetrical layout with the City God Temple on the left and the government office on the right, the Confucian Temple on the left and the Martial Temple on the right, and the Taoist Temple on the left and the Buddhist Temple on the right.

Third, regarding the distribution order and style of traditional architectural complexes: The ancient city of Pingyao consists of four main streets, eight smaller streets, and seventy-two lanes.

To this day, there are relatively few new buildings or incongruous structures in the ancient city. The old streets are lined with traditional storefronts, vintage wooden signs, and Ming and Qing residences abound in the ancient alleys. Moreover, the local customs and folkways are simple and sincere, with the charm and style of the ancient city showing many traces of “ritual.”

The ancient city of Pingyao not only boasts 2,700 years of splendid cultural history but also has 300 key cultural relic protection units at the national, provincial, and county levels, including ancient shops, residences, city walls, ruins, tombs, and buildings.

The ancient city also places special emphasis on Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist cultures. Inside the city stands the Dacheng Hall of the Jin Dynasty Confucian Temple, while outside the city lies the Jinzhuang Confucian Temple, both serving as evidence of the ancients’ reverence for Confucian culture.

There are two national-level Buddhist cultural heritage sites in the ancient city: Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple. Shuanglin Temple is renowned for its polychrome sculptures and is hailed by artists as a treasure trove of sculpture art from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties; Zhenguo Temple is noted for its architecture.

Reflecting the splendid history of Taoist culture, the Qingxu Guan (Clear Emptiness Temple) has been a place of thriving incense worship for centuries, as well as a preaching site for Taoist priests and a scenic destination for scholars and literati.

Due to the great development of Pingyao’s money shops in the mid-Qing Dynasty, many residents of the city became wealthy, and the urban area became home to mansions owned by rich merchants and landlords. Most of these residences were built during that period. These homes were large in size, used high-quality materials, and because of Shanxi’s dry climate and the absence of war damage, most have been preserved quite intact. The residential architecture of Pingyao is characterized by the rigorous courtyard style of northern Han Chinese, featuring clear axes, symmetrical layouts, distinct primary and secondary sections, often in two-courtyard designs. According to statistics, there are 3,797 traditional residences in Pingyao, over 400 of which are in excellent condition, making it the most complete and concentrated collection of residential architecture in China.

The ancient city area of Pingyao also features city walls used for military defense, equipped with military weapons, 72 battle towers, and 3,000 crenels, said to symbolize Confucius’ 72 disciples and 3,000 students.

It is precisely because of all of the above that, after multiple inspections and evaluations by United Nations experts, on December 3, 1997, in Naples, Italy, the ancient city of Pingyao was officially designated a “World Cultural Heritage Site” and inscribed on the “World Heritage List.” From then on, Pingyao became not just Shanxi’s Pingyao or China’s Pingyao, but the world’s Pingyao.

Stone carving artworks — Exhibition Room 4 (outdoor)

After Buddhism was introduced to China, the sculptural art of Buddhism, which flourished particularly during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, developed further, using materials such as clay, stone, wood, metal alloys, and papier-mâché.

First, the stele you see is a screen-style city-building stele, a work from the Qing Dynasty, depicting the construction of the city walls and moat of Pingyao during the Qing era. The reverse side records the donations of silver from various money shops.

Buddhist heads and arhat heads, Buddha and arhat statues from the Sui and Tang periods. The works from this period emphasized the expression of beauty and the portrayal of the inner world of figures, with full and dignified images.

These two are statues from the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the thousand Buddha statues on the Northern Wei Dynasty's Thousand Buddha Pillar all have unique expressions, postures, and clothing. Due to long-term preservation, they have faded over time.

These stone carvings are the Eighteen Arhats from the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Only the bodies are preserved in Pingyao County, while the heads are in Fenyang County.

Tomb stone carvings originated in the Spring and Autumn Period, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, but with different themes. Here we exhibit Western Han Dynasty stone sheep, stone tigers, Tang Dynasty tomb steles, and Qing Dynasty civil and military officials.

These tomb steles are from the Tang Dynasty. During that era, society was prosperous, people’s living standards were high, and cultural attainment was advanced. The inscriptions on these tomb epitaphs feature very smooth calligraphy and hold significant research value.

Exhibition Room Five:

China is one of the countries in the world that uses blast furnace iron. Pingyao’s casting history shares the same long tradition as China’s. Through continuous production practice, artisans have created the distinctive folk style of Pingyao.

These two Buddha heads are iron-cast artworks from the Tang Dynasty. Since the Tang Dynasty valued plumpness as beauty, willow-leaf eyebrows were used in their creation. Although they are iron castings, the artisans imbued them with life—their mouths seem to be speaking.

This seated Buddha is a work from the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty prized delicacy and elegance, so this Buddha has a refined face with slender, slightly upturned eyes and an especially slender waist.

The Lu Buddha is an incarnation of Sakyamuni. This set of iron cast figures is a work from the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. During this period, the facial treatment of statues became distinctly rounder at the bottom, with slightly shorter necks, and the figures wear depictions of 500 Arhats. This set of iron cast artworks is themed around Buddhism, featuring the supreme Buddha at the top, warriors and Arhats in the middle, and the King of Hell at the bottom.

These religious artworks incorporate the wisdom and emotion of Pingyao’s artists, and also showcase the artistic level of Pingyao.

Exhibition Room Six:

The so-called "Water-Land Paintings" are paintings hung during Buddhist ceremonies to deliver souls of both water and land. Their content mainly revolves around Buddhist themes, including Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Wisdom Kings, Kings, and more. The Water-Land Paintings exhibited in this room were all collected from an ancient Buddhist hall in our county and are works from the Qing Dynasty, dating back over 150 years.

The technique used by the artisans is fine brushwork with heavy color (gongbi zhongcai). Fine brushwork with heavy color is a painting method used by folk artisans during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It involves outlining the figures stroke by stroke before layering natural mineral pigments on top, usually applying two to three layers. Because the figures are outlined stroke by stroke, their images are very delicate, and the artistic imagination in their portrayal is rich, giving a realistic feel.

Buddhist Water-Land Paintings are also part of Buddhist art.

Exhibition Room Six:

Pingyao’s glass-making history shares the same long tradition as China’s. Glass originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty, flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but was only used in architecture during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The glass pieces exhibited here are all old architectural components from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Shanxi had been an important glass-producing region even before the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Areas in Shanxi such as Yangcheng, Pingyao, Fenyang, and Wenshui are known as the “Hometown of Glass.” This Ming Dynasty piece features the three colors yellow, green, and blue, and uses the openwork round carving technique. The City Tower, City God Temple, and Nine-Dragon Wall are representative works of Pingyao glass. Pingyao’s glass firing is represented by the Zhang and Hou families.

China’s famous Nine-Dragon Walls are located in three places: Pingyao, Datong, and Beijing. Among them, Pingyao’s is considered the best. Unfortunately, Pingyao’s Seven-Dragon Wall collapsed in the 1977 flood. We use this remnant of the Nine-Dragon Wall to showcase the craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty. Whether in color, brightness, or shape, it is highly successful.

Exhibition Room Seven:

These gauze booth opera figurines were originally stored on the City Tower and were created by a well-known local artist for the 36 booths in the market. The 28 booths of preserved treasures exhibited here are rare surviving pieces.

They are theatrical figures made from materials such as straw and paper, themed around traditional opera. Each booth represents one play, with one scene per play, typically featuring four figures about 50 cm tall. These works are vivid and decorative, from their postures and facial makeup to their props, all rendered in fine brushwork with heavy color, giving off an inspiring impression.

Gauze booth opera figurines were commonly used as decorations in funeral tents during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. At the time, each booth could be sold for 2,000 wen of silver, but now they have become priceless treasures. As rare and unique artifacts in China, they serve as invaluable material for studying Chinese drama and folk art.

Address: North side of the eastern section of East Street, Pingyao

Type: Museum / Taoist Temple

Recommended Visit Duration: About 30 minutes

Opening Hours:

Monday–Sunday 8:00–19:30 (Spring/Summer); 8:00–18:00 (Autumn/Winter)

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. This attraction is included in the 150 RMB Pingyao Ancient City admission ticket.

Further Reading:

·The sixth batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites