Check-in at Xiaoxitian in Xi County

Xiaoxitian in Xi County, located at the top of Phoenix Mountain, one kilometer northwest of Xi County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province, is a Zen Buddhist temple. Originally named Qianfo An, it was founded by Zen Master Dongming in the second year of the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty (1629). It was named after the thousand Buddha statues in the Mahavira Hall. Later, it was renamed 'Xiaoxitian' to distinguish it from another Ming Dynasty temple 'Daxitian' in the south of the city, as the plaque on the main gate reads 'Dao Ru Xitian' (Path to the Western Heaven). The entire temple of Xiaoxitian covers an area of more than 1,100 square meters, with many halls and buildings such as the Mahavira Hall, Manjusri Hall, Samantabhadra Hall, Amitabha Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Weituo Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Bell Tower, and Drum Tower. The temple is divided into upper, middle, and front courtyards by gates. In fact, two-thirds of the temple's halls are double-story structures. The cultural relic value of Xiaoxitian in Xi County mainly lies in the well-preserved hanging sculptures in the Mahavira Hall. Most of these hanging sculptures were painted and sculpted between the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty (1644) and the thirteenth year of the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty (1656), remaining dust-free for over three hundred years. The murals in the Mahavira Hall are even more precious, made with gold leaf and powder, resembling the dragon and phoenix patterns and imperial seals of the palace.