Journey to Shanxi - Erxian Temple in Jincheng

It is said that the two immortals were people from the Jin Dynasty, they were sisters from the same mother. Their mother passed away early, and their stepmother was very harsh to the two sisters. They never disobeyed their stepmother and did their best to complete the tasks assigned by their stepmother. Their filial piety touched the gods, and the two sisters were transformed into immortals. After becoming immortals, they responded to the demands of the local people. In gratitude, the people built several temples to worship the two sisters, commonly known as the two immortals. During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a magical folk tale. It is said that during the war between the Song army and the Western Xia, the Song army was at the point of running out of food and supplies. At this time, two young women dressed in red and wearing embroidered shoes appeared and saved the Song army. It was later learned that the two women were transformed by the two immortals. This is the famous story of the two immortals rewarding the army, which has been recorded in history. After the Tang Dynasty, the incense of the Erxian Temple has been long-lasting. The Erxian Temple is almost everywhere in the Shangdang area. Until the end of the Qing Dynasty, most of the Erxian Temples in the Shangdang area were destroyed. There are still 6 Erxian Temples in Shanxi today, among which the Erxian Temple in Xiaonan Village is the only temple that worships the statues of the two immortals. It is also the earliest and unique Song Dynasty statue of the two immortals in the Shangdang area. The Erxian Temple has a total of 6 statues, two of the real statues of the two immortals, and four maid statues. They are works of the same period as the main hall of the temple. The statues are dignified, beautiful, and natural in expression. They are full of affinity between their eyebrows and can be said to be the best works of the Song Dynasty clay sculpture. On the wall behind the clay sculpture, there are also murals of swallows, magpies, and lotus flowers. There is also a heavenly palace in the hall, which is a rare original structure of the small woodwork of the Northern Song Dynasty. The heavenly palace is suspended in the air of the Erxian Temple. It is composed of two que-shaped high platforms, an arch bridge, and the palace on the bridge. The bottom is the wooden shrine of the two immortals and their attendants, and the top is the top of the shrine. The builder used an arch bridge suspended in the air, seemingly supporting the shrine in mid-air, truly creating the effect of the heavenly palace. It is a milestone in architectural history and the most unique example of using bucket arches in ancient Chinese architecture. There are also two cypress trees on the east and west sides of the music pavilion of the Erxian Temple. It is said that they were planted when the temple was built and have a history of a thousand years. There are also two stone steles in the temple, which were also left over from the Song Dynasty. There are very few small wooden buildings left in the southern part of Jin. In a remote village temple, someone actually built a heavenly palace. As history continues to pass, the later generations who come to visit are amazed. Unfortunately, due to the lack of protection, many buildings inside have been damaged. It's a pity. If you are interested, you might as well go and have a look. I believe there will be gains. Note that there is no admission fee, no parking fee, but the transportation is not very convenient, it is recommended to drive by yourself.