Fen Yuan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake at the Source of the Fen River)

Fen Yuan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake at the Source of the Fen River)

Source of the Fen River The Fen River is the mother river of Shanxi Province, nourishing countless people. The Lingzhao (Sacred Pool) of the Fen River is its true source, a place where locals remember their roots. It is located at the foot of Xilouzi Mountain in Dongzhai Town, 30 kilometers southwest of Ningwu County.

The Fenyuan Pavilion stands against Loushi Mountain, overlooking the Fen River valley. It is 15 meters high and has three levels. The first level houses the Water Mother Hall, which features a statue of the Water Mother. Behind the statue is a Water Mother Cave, where a white marble statue of the Water Mother is carved. A clear and sweet spring gushes out from a crevice beneath the statue’s base, flows out from under the hall, and gathers in a pool outside. The words “Lingzhao Sacred Pool” are engraved on the pool wall. The spring water then flows out of the pool through the mouth of a dragon, crashing down with a thunderous roar like jade clattering against a mountain, before pouring into the Fish Lake. From there, it overflows through nine dragon mouths and six fish mouths at the Jiulong Dam, eventually forming the Fen River.

Fenyuan Museum, also known as the Leiming Temple It is said that in the past, the Fen River had a very strong flow, and timber cut from the Guancen Mountains was transported via its waters. Even in the 1940s and 1950s, log rafts were still sent downstream. The temple gets its name from the thunderous sound the river made as it exited the mountains. The exact founding date of Leiming Temple is unknown. It was renovated during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty and the tenth year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. At its peak, it housed over 300 monks and was a renowned temple in northern Shanxi. There were also several other highly popular temples in the vicinity of Leiming Temple, but unfortunately, they were all destroyed during industrial construction in the 1970s. The current Leiming Temple was built in 1997.