The ancient architecture of Shanxi - Xiaoxitian in Xixian County reaches the pinnacle of suspended sculpture

🎈 Xiaoxitian in Xixian County, also known as Ganfo An, is located at the summit of Phoenix Mountain to the west of Xixian County in Linfen City, Shanxi Province. It is a Buddhist Zen monastery founded by the Ming Dynasty Zen Master Dongming in the second year of the Chongzhen era. It was originally named for the dry-lacquered Buddha statues in the Mahavira Hall, and later, due to the inscription 'Path to the Western Heaven' on the heavy gate, it was renamed 'Xiaoxitian' to distinguish it from another Ming Dynasty monastery 'Daxitian' in the south of the city. 🎈 The total building area of Xiaoxitian in Xixian County is over 1,100 square meters, with structures including the Mahavira Hall, Manjusri Hall, Samantabhadra Hall, Beamless Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Weituo Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and many other halls. Caves are used as entrances, separating the upper, middle, and front courtyards. In fact, two-thirds of the temple halls are double-layered structures. The suspended sculptures and colored paintings inside Xiaoxitian in Xixian County are of great reference value for the study of Ming and Qing Dynasty suspended sculptures and colored paintings. 🎈 On March 5, 2013, Xiaoxitian in Xixian County was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the fourth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.