Xizhu Nunnery

　　Xizhu Nunnery is located halfway up a mountain, about 2 kilometers west of Yongfu Office in Youwang Town. Legend has it that it was one of the Five Temples and Eight Monasteries built by Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty during his retreat to western Yunnan. It was established to worship the deities of Buddhism from the Western Heavenly (Indian) region. The nunnery faces east, following the contour of the mountain.

　　According to surviving inscriptions in the nunnery and paintings on the beams of the main hall, it underwent multiple renovations during the Qing Dynasty, including those in the Qianlong and Xianfeng eras. The nunnery covers a construction area of over 2,000 square meters, with thirty-one permanent structures arranged in a four-courtyard, three-section layout. The main hall, the Guanyin Hall, features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof and was constructed in the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1855 AD). Originally, the central door of the hall had a set of six carved lattice doors depicting scenes from Journey to the West, which were stolen in 1987. The remaining historic buildings include the main hall, the Wen Tower, side halls, auxiliary halls, wing rooms, and the mountain gate, all built using a combination of post-and-lintel and Dougong (bracket arm) construction techniques.

　　After 1988, local enthusiasts such as Yang Fengxian initiated restoration efforts, and the nunnery has since been managed by nuns including Duan Guangyuan.

　　This nunnery is the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex in the county to date.