Lingying Temple on Fanshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain

Lingying Temple on Fanshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain

Lingying Temple on Fanshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain, is a cultural heritage site protected by Wutai County.

Lingying Temple on Fanshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain, is located about 400 meters south of Xinfang Village, Taihuai Town, Wutai County. It faces east and has a west-east orientation, measuring 40.2 meters in length from east to west and 24.95 meters in width from north to south, covering an area of 1,003 square meters. Its founding date is unknown.

According to inscriptions, it was renovated in the sixth year of the Hongzhi reign during the Ming Dynasty (1493). The surviving structures, apart from the monks' quarters, are all relics from the Qing Dynasty. The temple follows a single-courtyard layout, with a screen wall, mountain gate, and Hall of the Immortals arranged along the central axis, flanked by side halls and monks’ quarters. The Hall of the Immortals is built atop three stone-arched caves, with a platform base that is 11.6 meters wide, 7.6 meters deep, and 0.4 meters high. The hall itself is three bays wide and four rafters deep, featuring a single-eave, flush-gable, and roll-roofed structure. It has a five-rafter front corridor framework, with each of the central and side bays fitted with four-panel latticed doors. Inside the hall, fourteen folk deities including the Fox Immortal are aligned in a row on the Buddhist altar. The second floor houses Qing Dynasty murals covering an area of 23.88 square meters. The temple also preserves two Ming Dynasty steles documenting its renovation and an iron bell cast in the 28th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1689). In July 1988, it was designated as a county-level cultural heritage site by the People’s Government of Wutai County. (From “A Collection of Cultural Relics in Xinzhou”)

Source: Xinzhou Network

Xinfang Village: Xinfang Village is located in the core area of the Buddhist holy land of Wutai Mountain. It administers five villager groups: Xinfang, Hebei, Huochang, Xigou, and Wayao, with a total of 185 households and 593 residents. In recent years, with strong support from the civilization committees at the provincial, municipal, county, and district levels, Xinfang Village has focused on both building a moderately prosperous society and promoting cultural development, achieving remarkable results. According to incomplete statistics, the village's total economic income in 2007 was 2.71 million yuan, with a per capita net income of 2,411 yuan. The village’s appearance has improved significantly, and the living standards of its residents have risen markedly. Since 1998, Xinfang Village has been awarded for ten consecutive years as a … More details about Xinfang Village++