Baitsi Temple

　　   Baitsi Temple, (a sixth batch National Cultural Heritage site), is located southwest of Guangma Village, about 20 kilometers northwest of Xinjiang County. The temple sits on a mid-level terrace within a gully shaped by water erosion. Its exact founding date is unknown, but it was renovated in the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era during the Tang Dynasty (726 AD); further restorations were carried out during the Dading and Mingchang eras (1161–1190 AD) under Emperor Shizong Wanyan Yong and Emperor Zhangzong Wanyan Yong of the Jin Dynasty. Additional repairs were made 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 west wing rooms.

　　   The Facao Pavilion, also known as the Three-Tiered Facao Pavilion, was built during the Jin Dynasty and repaired during the Yuan Dynasty. The pavilion is built against a earthen cliff, spanning three bays, with three stories and a hip-and-gable roof. It features a protective railing balcony, with an exquisitely crafted and magnificent structure. The lower level houses sculptures of Guanyin Bodhisattva and attendants, while the upper level enshrines the “Three Saints of the West”—Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin, and Mahasthamaprapta—all of which are Yuan Dynasty clay sculptures. The east side hall is dedicated to the Earth Store King and the King of Hell, while the west side hall houses the Medicine King, both sculpted 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. It is square-shaped with three bays and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The clay sculptures inside include Sakyamuni Buddha in the center, flanked by his disciples Ananda and Kasyapa, as well as attendant bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra. There are also six arhat sculptures on the sides. The rear main hall was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1355 AD). It spans five bays in width and two in depth, with a flush-gable roof. The clay sculptures inside are also from the Yuan Dynasty. In the temple courtyard, there is a nine-tiered Buddhist statue pagoda from the Tang Dynasty, along with inscribed stelae. There is also an ancient locust tree so large that one person cannot encircle it with their arms. Legend says it dates back to the Tang Dynasty, and it still flourishes today, witnessing the temple’s long and storied history.