Xiyang Lixiang Temple

Xiyang Lixiang Temple

Xiyang Lixiang Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Lixiang Temple

Era: Song and Qing Dynasties

Address: Chuan Kou Village, Zhaobi Township, Xiyang County, Jinzhong City

The founding date of Lixiang Temple is unknown. According to extant stone inscriptions within the temple, it underwent renovations during the Ming Dynasty's Zhengtong and Wanli periods, as well as the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi, Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, Guangxu periods, and the Republican era. The temple covers an area of approximately 500 square meters. It faces south and has a single-courtyard layout. Along the central axis from south to north are the Heavenly King Hall and the Main Hall. On both sides are the East and West Side Halls, Bell Tower, and Drum Tower. Except for the axial buildings, which are original to the temple, the side structures were all built later. Among the existing structures, the Main Hall dates back to the Song Dynasty, while the Heavenly King Hall is a Qing Dynasty construction. There are a total of nine extant stone steles (tablets) recording renovations within the temple, and one damaged pagoda base remains in the courtyard.

The Main Hall sits on a stone-built platform, square in plan, with a three-bay width and six-rafter depth. It features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof with a gentle pitch and far-reaching eaves. The central bay of the front eaves is broad, while the side bays are slightly narrower. Inside, the central bay’s roof framework consists of six-rafter beams and bracket sets supported on columns. The brackets use a complex system with multiple interlayers. The central bay’s beam frame also includes inserted beams, with hidden bracket arms and deeply recessed dougong joints. The purlins and rafters show clear traces of multiple historical repairs. The eaves columns and bracket sets feature intricate carvings, though many are now worn and no longer distinct. The eave brackets are mostly single-tiered with simple design (the actual original pieces may have been replaced during the Ming and Qing renovations), or shaped like ang (upward-curving bracket arms). On the gable sides, the column-top and filler bracket sets have a five-tiered “heart-stealing” structure at the rear. The rear ends of the column-top and filler bracket sets extend to the six-rafter beams, connecting with the purlins and rafters. Some bracket arms extend into the roof structure. The roof eaves are adorned with decorative elements added during the Ming and Qing restorations (not original). Other areas only have single column-top bracket sets, designed as four-tiered single-bracket designs with deep-set dou and slightly protruding ang. The gable-side column-top and filler brackets have a five-tiered heart-stealing configuration, with the rear extensions of the column-top and filler brackets reaching toward the six-rafter beams, tying together the purlins and rafters. The decorative carvings are exquisitely crafted. The wooden structure exhibits distinctive characteristics and holds high artistic value.

The proportions of the Main Hall are harmonious, the craftsmanship simple yet classic, the roof curves vigorous and powerful, the structure rigorous, and the workmanship refined, giving it significant artistic merit.

The Main Hall of Lixiang Temple is one of only four wooden structures predating the Yuan Dynasty that remain in Xiyang County. It provides tangible evidence for the study of pre-Yuan wooden architecture in the region and is one of the few surviving Song Dynasty buildings in the Jinzhong area of Shanxi Province, making it extremely precious.

On October 7, 2019, Xiyang Lixiang Temple was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Chuan Kou Village: Originally part of Fengju Township, Chuan Kou Village was incorporated into Zhaobi Township, Xiyang County, in March 2001. It is located at the intersection of the Liuma and Jieli roads in the county. It lies 3 kilometers north of Fengju Village and 5 kilometers south of Zhaobi Village. The village has 460 households, a population of 1,310, and 8 villager groups, covering a cultivated area of 2,347 mu. The village has 5 members on the Party branch committee, 5 on the village committee, and 55 Party members. Under the leadership of Party Branch Secretary Wang Ailiang and Village Director Wang Yonggang, the village has consistently ranked at the forefront of economic and social development across the township.

The main industry of Chuan Kou Village is corn cultivation. For many years, the village has maintained a large area under corn... More details about Chuan Kou Village ++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units