Shimo Xuan Sheng Temple

　　Address: Shimo Village, Gaoping City, Jincheng, Shanxi Province

　　Xuan Sheng Temple was formerly a place for worshipping Confucius. Stone inscriptions in the temple indicate that it was originally built in the third year of the Taiding era during the Yuan Dynasty (1326 AD), with subsequent renovations carried out in various dynasties thereafter.

　　The main hall of the temple is centrally located on an elevated platform. It appears to have three bays from the front but actually contains five, with seven purlins and six sets of rafters. The depth and span are considerable. It features a flush gable roof, double-eave tiles, and a glazed tile ridge adorned with large mythical animal ornaments. The chiwen (ridge-end ornaments) are large, as if ready to take flight. The bracket sets at the column tops and corners are of the double downward-cantilever type, while the intercolumnar bracket sets project two tiers with upward cantilevers. The horizontal beams beneath the brackets are made of large timber, all characteristic of the typical Yuan Dynasty style.

　　Inside the roof structure, there are two internal columns behind the central bay. To the east and west of these two inner columns, there is one large horizontal beam each, which supports the secondary and side-bay roof structures. Flanking the main hall are three-bay side chambers, and to the east and west are seven-bay wing rooms, all featuring corridors. The mountain gate is topped with a five-bay theater stage, with a three-bay stage opening, and one-bay music pavilions on either side. Further out are three-bay dressing rooms, and one-bay mountain gate, beneath which there are steps. There is also a well within the temple grounds, along with a stone stele recording renovations from the eighth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty.