September travel recommendation: Linfen Xiaoxitian in Shanxi Province | Three Thousand Worlds.

|Three Thousand Worlds. Xiaoxitian in Xi County, Shanxi, also known as Qianfoan, is located on the top of Fenghuang Mountain, 1 km northwest of Xi County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. It is a Buddhist Zen monastery. Xiaoxitian was first built in 1629 during the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty under the auspices of Master Dongming. It was repaired many times during the Qing Dynasty. Most of the existing buildings were built at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It covers an area of only more than 1,100 square meters. The monastery is built on Fenghuang Mountain, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with staggered buildings. Its layout is divided into upper and lower courtyards, with two mountain gates, a cave as a gate, separating and connecting the upper courtyard, lower courtyard, and front courtyard. The main buildings of the upper courtyard are the Mahavira Hall, with Manjusri and Samantabhadra Halls on the left and right, and the North Pole Hall and Ma Wang Temple on both sides; The lower courtyard mainly includes the Wuliang Hall, Weituo Hall, Moyun Pavilion, Bagua Pavilion, and the Zhong and Gu Lou on the Weituo Hall. The Wuliang Hall is the main hall of the lower courtyard, with five bays in width and a corridor in front of the eaves. The hall houses the Wuliangshou Buddha. The hall was built in the early Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty. It was named after the "Wuliangshou Buddha", which means "infinite Buddha Dharma". It is also known as the "Wuliang Hall" because it has no beams or pillars. It is the Dharma Hall of Xiaoxitian Temple, and also the Zen Hall where monks chant scriptures, preach Dharma, and take refuge. The Weituo Hall is located opposite the Wuliang Hall. Inside, there is a Weituo Buddha carved from a whole piece of nanmu wood in the fifth year of Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Xiaoxitian is famous for its Ming Dynasty colored hanging sculptures. It is known as the Museum of Chinese Hanging Sculpture Art, and the "Hanging Sculpture Masterpiece" in the history of Chinese sculpture art. The Daxiongbao Hall is full of hanging sculptures, with more than 1,000 clay sculptures of various sizes. These statues are arranged according to the 33 heavens, with clear order and appropriate size. The tallest is more than 3 meters, and the smallest is only the size of a thumb. The shapes are vivid and varied, with many but not chaotic, and complex but not miscellaneous. The five main Buddha statues on the front constitute the main body of the magnificent statue group in the hall, from south to north, they are the Medicine Master Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, Vairocana Buddha, and Maitreya Buddha. Above the ten great disciples are the exquisitely crafted "琉璃 Shengjing" and "Six Desires Heaven" hanging sculpture groups. Hanging sculptures, also known as wall sculptures, are indoor colored clay sculptures with a frame, thick at the top and thin at the bottom, suspended in a prefabricated wooden frame fixed to the wall. The upper body of the clay sculpture leans slightly outward. When overlapped, the upper body of the lower layer blocks the feet of the upper sculpture. The multiple layers of overlap create a magnificent effect. The paint pigments are hand-processed from natural minerals. Xiaoxitian's craftsmen used the walls, columns, and purlins inside the building as a support to create various figures, scenes, and decorations. They also reflected the connections between them through ingenious transitions, coordinating with each other in various postures, creating a sense of space and reality of being in the air and looking down at the world. In addition, the half-cloud pavilion in the lower courtyard also houses a complete Chinese Buddhist canon, the Yongle Beizang. The Buddhist canon was originally housed in the Holy Realm Temple, and was stored here after the founding of the People's Republic of China. On November 20, 1996, Qianfoan was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. 1️⃣ Transportation: Xi County is far from Linfen City, so it is recommended to drive or charter a car.🚗 2️⃣ Tickets: Adults 35 yuan Half-price tickets 18 yuan 3️⃣ Explanation: 50 yuan (regardless of the number of people) Having a guide will make it much easier to understand the ancient buildings, but the site is very crowded and noisy. You can also watch documentaries online in advance and enjoy the visual experience when you go. 4️⃣ Vegetarian meals: Xiaoxitian offers vegetarian meals for free, but they are available before 11:00 a.m.🍚 5️⃣ Pets: Pets are not allowed in the scenic area🚫 6️⃣ Parking: Parking fee is 5 yuan (unlimited time) 7️⃣ Stamp: You can get a free stamp at the visitor center at the entrance 8️⃣ Transportation within the scenic area: You can only walk within the scenic area. There are more than 100 steps before entering Xiaoxitian, which may not be convenient for elderly people.