Shousheng Temple Pagoda is located within the school premises of Nanyang Village, Liwang Township, Wanrong County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. It has an octagonal floor plan, covering an area of approximately 60 square meters. Its construction date is unknown, but based on its architectural style, it is believed to be a building from the Song Dynasty. The pagoda has eleven stories in total and is a pavilion-style brick pagoda. The body of the pagoda is octagonal, standing about 30 meters tall, with the first level having sides that are 2.8 meters long and a diameter of 6.6…
The Hanquan Pagoda, commonly known as "Hanquan Pagoda," is located at the western foot of Gu Mountain in Gaocun Township, Wanrong County. It is an eleven-story, square, dense-eave brick pagoda, standing 31.2 meters tall. The base is a Sumeru pedestal with a waist section. The southern side of the first story features an arched gate. From the first to the fourth stories, the eaves are adorned with imitation wooden-brick carved brackets, and above the third story, there are projecting eaves. The eaves have carved patterns of flowers and birds. The pagoda has niches on all sides. It was built in the second year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1162), with the temple and pagoda constructed simultaneously. Currently, the Hanquan Temple has been reduced to rubble, leaving only the pagoda. To the east of the pagoda, there used to be a stone stele measuring 70 cm in length and 37 cm in height, which is the inscription for the reconstruction of the White Robe Hall and the Rabbit-Dug Spring. This stele uses the reign title “Yongchang First Year of the Great Shun State,” established by Li Zicheng in the late Ming Dynasty.
The Wanrong County Museum was first established in September 1978. Its original location was within the Dongyue Temple on West Street in Wanrong County. In 2006, it was relocated to the west side of the Offering Hall and the Main Hall of the Dongyue Temple, facing east, occupying the wing room area of the temple. It covers a land area of 400 square meters, with a building area of 330 square meters, including a cultural relics storage room and exhibition halls...
Yuncheng Folk Museum was established in September 2006. Its founding filled the gap of having no state-owned folk museum in Yuncheng City. Its responsibilities include: implementing national, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations on cultural relics protection and management; formulating the overall conservation plan for the architectural complex of the Li Family Courtyard; undertaking the preservation of the cultural relics at the Li Family Courtyard…
Highlights: The Bell Tower is located at the southernmost end and was first built during the Northern Song Dynasty, with renovations carried out in subsequent dynasties. It houses an ancient bell weighing ten thousand jin (approximately 5 metric tons), which is the oldest relic among the Three Towers of Jiangzhou. The Music Tower was originally a stage, consisting of two levels and adorned with elaborate decorations. The Drum Tower is the tallest building in the city, constructed during the Yuan Dynasty, and features a simple and elegant design. …
The Garden Pond of the Jiang Guards' Residence is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. Located on a highland to the west within the county town, it covers an area of 14,640 square meters and is the only surviving garden from the Sui Dynasty that once belonged to a state-level administrative office. The pond was first built in the 16th year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (596 AD) by Liang Gui, then the Commandant of the Inner Army and Magistrate of Linfen County. He also took note of local conditions and, seeing that the people had difficulty accessing drinking water and that crops suffered from drought, diverted water from the Gudui Spring, located 30 li north of the city, by digging channels to irrigate fields and directing the remaining flow through the inner city to form a pond.
Sanguan Temple (Sixth Batch of National Protected Sites) Era: Yuan Dynasty Address: West entrance of Hanjia Lane, downtown Xinjiang County Commonly known as Hulutemple. According to the dated wooden pillar inside the main painted statue, the temple was built in the first year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1341 AD) and underwent renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Only the Offering Hall and the Main Hall remain today, both dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. The temple faces west and is situated eastward; the two structures are closely…
Guangcun Site (First Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site) Era: Neolithic Location: About 100 meters north of Guangcun Village, approximately 5 kilometers northwest of Xinjiang County. It lies at the northern foot of the Lüliang Mountains, with the Fen River to the east, situated on a gently sloping piedmont plain at the edge of the Linfen Basin. The terrain slopes from north to south, covering an area of about 500,000 square meters. Discovered in the 1950s, more detailed surveys were conducted in 1993 and 1994. The site features mainly Yangshao culture remains, encompassing the early Yangshao period through the Miaodigou culture, the upper layer of Xiwangcun culture, and the second phase of Xiwangcun culture. Its cultural characteristics are primarily reflected in pottery. The pottery is mainly red and gray, predominantly plain-surfaced with some painted examples. Decorative patterns include dots, hooked leaves with curved lines, triangles, and others. Designs became particularly intricate and ornate during the middle period, predominantly black with white outlines. Other decorative motifs include string patterns, appliqué ridges, and petal-like designs, with the latter becoming increasingly common. Common vessel types include bowls, cups, basins, pointed-bottom bottles (jars), narrow-mouthed urns, flared-bellied jars, and sand-tempered jars. The Miaodigou Phase II culture is mainly represented by gray pottery, often featuring basket-weave and cord-marked surfaces. Key vessel types include cauldrons, tripods, small-necked high-necked jars, flared-bellied sand-tempered jars, basins, lidded jars, and urns, forming a distinct set of features differing from those of the Yangshao period.
Quanzhang Guan Yu Temple is located in the center of Quanzhang Village, Quanzhang Town, Xinjiang County, adjacent to the west of the Quanzhang Village Committee. It faces south with a north orientation, stretching 19.6 meters from east to west and 21 meters from north to south, covering an area of 412 square meters. The existing main hall was built at an unknown date. According to records on the beam ridge plaques and stone carvings inside the hall, it underwent renovations in the 8th year (1495) and 10th year (1497) of the Hongzhi reign, the 26th year (1547) of the Jiajing reign, the 8th year (1730) and 9th year (1731) of the Yongzheng reign, and the 5th year (1740) of the Qianlong reign of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Qiao Family Garden, located in Renyi Lane within the county town, is a key cultural relic protection unit of the county. The original Qiao Family Garden covered a large area, but only a single courtyard building remains today. The courtyard faces south and features stone-carved couplets. There is a central entrance on the southern side, and all four sides of the building consist of two stories with flush gable roofs. The north house has five bays in width and two bays in depth, with a front porch, while small courtyards are connected to the northwest and southwest corners. According to the inscribed wooden plaque on the beam of the north house, it was built in the 25th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1820).
Huguo Shangqing Temple is located on the earthen cliff south of Nanbao in Xiguan Village, Chengguan Town, Xinjiang County. It is a key cultural relic protection unit of the county. Initially built in the 34th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1606) by imperial decree and renovated during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that it originated from the Buddhist sect of Mount Wutai, venerating the Bodhisattva Manjushri, attracting many scholars and hosting Buddhist ceremonies. The original temple complex was vast, covering nearly 2…
Baishi Temple (listed in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units). It is located southwest of Guangma Village, about 20 kilometers northwest of Xinjiang County. The temple is built on a mid-level terrace in a gully eroded by rainwater. Its exact founding date is unknown, but it was renovated in the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (726 AD); further renovations were carried out during the Dading and Mingchang reigns (1161–1190 AD) of Emperor Shizong Wanyan Yong and Emperor Zhangzong Wanyan Yong of the Jin Dynasty. There were also restorations during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The main surviving structures include the Facao Pavilion, east and west side halls, the Sakyamuni Hall, the rear main hall, and the west wing rooms.
Fusheng Temple, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, is located north of Guang Village, Zezhang Town, Xinjiang County. According to the "Edict from the Ministry of Rites" preserved in the temple, it was commissioned by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan era (627–649 AD). It was bestowed the name "Fusheng Monastery" in 1163 AD during the Jin Dynasty's Dading era. The temple underwent renovations during the Song and Yuan dynasties...
The Temple of Ji and Yi, commonly known as Yangwang Temple, is located in Yangwang Village, about 20 kilometers southwest of Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province. It is a temple dedicated to Houji (the God of Agriculture) and Boyi (also known as Boyi Yi), who was said to be an official under Yu the Great and contributed significantly to flood control. Houji was credited with cultivating various grains and regarded as the Grain God; it is believed that he first taught people how to farm here, hence the temple was built in his honor. The Temple of Ji and Yi is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection...
The Three Towers of Jiangzhou refer to the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Music Tower. They are located on the high terrace in the western part of Xinjiang County. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was common for prefectural and county towns to have market towers, commonly known as drum towers. However, the Three Towers of Jiangzhou stand together in a tripartite formation aligned in a north-south tripod pattern: the Bell Tower to the south, the Music Tower to the east, and the Drum Tower slightly to the north. It is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. According to inscriptions on a stele, the Drum Tower was originally built during the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty, …
Jiangzhou Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Located within the campus of Xinjiang Middle School in Xinjiang County, it served as the main building of the Jiangzhou Prefecture government. Originally constructed during the Tang Dynasty, it was the administrative center for successive prefectural governments. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, once ordered Zhang Shigui to set up camp here to recruit soldiers, hence it is also known as "Shuai Zheng Tang" (Commander’s Hall). Stories such as "Xue Rengui Joins the Army" also originated here…
The Temple of Literature is a key cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province. It is located on Sifu Street in the county town of Xinjiang. Covering an area of 10,670 square meters, the exact date of its establishment remains uncertain. Based on an inscribed stone tablet housed within the temple — "Record of the Reconstruction of the Confucian Temple," a compilation of writings by Wang Xizhi, the General of the Right Army of the Jin Dynasty — it can be inferred that the Temple of Literature was built no later than the Song Dynasty. Subsequent dynasties, including the Yuan, Ming, and Qing, carried out multiple renovations...
The Mysterious Smoking Pagoda — Longxing Pagoda is located on a high cliff at the northern end of Beijie Street in Xinjiang County. When you get off at Nanguan in the county town, cross the small makeshift pontoon bridge, or drive across the Fenhe River Bridge upstream from the pontoon bridge, as soon as you step onto the bustling streets of Xinjiang County, you can gaze into the distance at the rising smoke from Longxing Pagoda. As you approach Xinjiang, while still in the...
Also known as Pudai Temple. Located on the west side of Guangma Village, about 20 kilometers northwest of Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province. The year of its establishment is unknown. It was renovated in the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (726 AD), rebuilt during the Dading and Mingchang periods of the Jin Dynasty, partially refurbished in the 5th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1355 AD), and further repaired during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The main existing structures include the Fahzang Pavilion, watchtower, …
Located within Longxing Temple in Xinjiang County, Shanxi. The temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty and was initially named Biluo Guan (Green Void Temple). The stele was situated inside the temple, hence its name. Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty stayed here and renamed it Longxing Palace; later, when monks occupied the site, it was changed to Longxing Temple. The calligraphy on the stele is ancient in style, with exquisite brushwork, and is renowned for its large seal script. The *Shan You Jin Shi Cun Lüe* (Brief Records of Metal and Stone Inscriptions in Shanxi) states that a Taoist priest prayed for the stele to be carved, then shut the door, closed his eyes, and meditated for three days...