Xiantang Mountain

　　   Xiantang Mountain is located in Qiangji Township, 25 kilometers north of Xiangyuan County, and is named after the Xiantang Temple built halfway up the mountain. The mountain was originally called “Nine Dragons Mountain,” with its main peak reaching an elevation of 1,700 meters.    

　　   Xiantang Temple is one of the main ancient structures on Xiantang Mountain. The temple is built along the mountain’s contour, and within its grounds, five springs emerge, hence it is also known as “Five Dragons Temple.” It now consists of a three-courtyard complex, with its central axis ascending step by step from low to high. Visitors climb 162 steps known as the “Stairway to Heaven” from the valley floor to reach the mountain gate, flanked by a bell tower and a drum tower. Ascending the steps from the front courtyard leads into the middle courtyard’s temple gate. The middle hall is three bays wide and two bays deep, featuring five-tiered bracket sets and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. It currently serves as the Faxian Memorial Hall. On either side are the east and west side halls, each five bays wide. Climbing further up from both sides leads to the rear courtyard, where the central hall is the Three Buddha Hall, three bays wide and two bays deep, with five-tiered bracket sets and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, retaining architectural styles from the Song Dynasty. Side halls are located on both sides. In the southwest corner is a main hall, and the temple houses colorful statues including the Medicine Buddha, Kṣitigarbha Buddha, Dipankara Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Maitreya Buddha, all dating back to the Ming Dynasty.    

　　   To the northwest of Xiantang Temple, the mountain rises thousands of feet high, with 72 caves nestled in the cliffs. At the cliff face stands the Goddess Nuwa Palace, suspended mid-air. Behind it lies a deep cave accessible via stone steps. The path leading to the palace is only about a foot wide, making the climb feel like entering a celestial realm, dizzying yet thrilling—hence it is called “The Cliff of Self-Sacrifice.” On both sides of the Nuwa Palace are interconnected stone caves, believed to be scripture repositories. Carved into the rocky cliffs is a giant statue of Faxian, standing 13 meters tall. To the west of the Nuwa Palace are additional attractions such as the Glass Cave, Cymbal Cave (Arhat Stone), Vermilion Sand Cave, Scripture Lecture Platform, Face Rock, and Moon-Fetching Ladder, all breathtakingly beautiful.    

　　   About a li south of Xiantang Temple lies the Black Dragon Cave, known as a “Heavenly Blessed Land.” At its entrance, two giant dragons are carved leaping upward. Entering through the moon gate, nine dragon heads protrude toward you, each spouting water from their mouths. Further inside is a stone platform with a pool of clear water, which is the source of the water from the dragon mouths. Locals claim this water can cure all ailments, though it is actually delicious mineral water. At the rear of the cave, the stone floor resembles two coiled black dragons lying at rest, said to be the dwelling place of the Dragon King and Queen. In front of the cave is the Dragon King Hall, housing a statue of the Dragon King. About a li from the temple, steep cliffs rise sharply, with the Nuwa Palace built mid-air upon them. It is five bays wide, a fully wooden two-story pavilion. The lower level of the palace features densely arranged wooden pillars—32 in total—interlaced and supported by closely spaced bracket sets. With its double-eave hip-and-gable roof, its structure is ingeniously unique. Surrounded by towering peaks, it looks like a quaint little house in an ancient painting. Other attractions nearby include the Guanyin Cave with its cliffside stone tablet, the Cymbal Cave echoing with heavenly music, the Spinning Cave where a loom is said to hum at night, the Vermilion Sand Cave emitting incense-like smoke from its furnace, the Golden Lamp Rock—the jewel of the mountains, the Nodding Face Rock that seems to welcome visitors, and the Dripping Valley Cave that nourishes monks and aids the poor.  

　　 Changzhi City, Shanxi Province