White Tire Temple

　　   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, but it was renovated in the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (726 AD), rebuilt during the Dading and Mingchang eras of the Jin Dynasty, partially repaired in the 5th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1355 AD), and further restored during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

　　   The main surviving structures include the Fahzang Pavilion, watchtower, Sakyamuni Hall, rear main hall, and side halls. The Fahzang Pavilion has three stories, was initially built in the Jin Dynasty and renovated in the Yuan Dynasty. It is constructed against a earthen cliff, spanning three bays, with a hip-and-gable roof, featuring a balustraded terrace, a magnificent design and exquisite structure. The lower level of the pavilion houses a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva and attendants, while the upper level enshrines the Three Saints of the West—statues from the Yuan Dynasty. The east side hall is dedicated to Kṣitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell, and the two side rooms are dedicated to the Medicine Buddha, created in the 6th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1511 AD). The Sakyamuni Hall was built during the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty, square in shape with three bays, featuring a single-eave, nine-ridged roof. The hall is relatively tall with a gentle pitch, and its beam framework is simple yet refined. Inside the hall are statues of the Tathagata Buddha, Ānanda, Mahākāśyapa, two attendant bodhisattvas, and six arhats on either side. Each statue features delicate facial features and well-defined musculature, retaining the stylistic essence of the Jin Dynasty despite later restorations. The rear main hall was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1355 AD), with five bays in a hanging gable style, featuring simple bracket sets and beam sections cut to fit the timber. The hall houses a central Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, still reflecting the Yuan Dynasty sculptural style. The temple preserves stone steles dating from the Tang and Song dynasties, including a nine-tiered Buddhist sculpture pagoda from the Tang Dynasty and an iron plaque from the 3rd year of the Xuanhe era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1121 AD), all of high historical and artistic value.