[2025 Xinjiang Attraction] Travel Guide for Jiyi Temple (Updated May)

Shanxi has many scenic spots, but they are scattered, with many located in county towns and villages. I came to the Jiyi Temple to see the murals. It is located in Yangwang Town, 20 km southwest of Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province. An elderly gentleman is the permanent gatekeeper, and he opened the door for us upon our arrival. Entering the temple, I immediately felt the trip was worthwhile. It was breathtaking. The gentleman also acted as a guide, explaining the stories depicted in the murals. Similar to the murals in the Yongle Palace, the east and west walls of the hall are covered with murals, spanning an area of 130 square meters. The murals are well-preserved, with the east and west walls laid out in a stepped arrangement, 8.23 meters wide and up to 6.18 meters high. The entire mural depicts over 400 figures, both human and divine, centered around the theme of Houji and Boyi. It portrays the three realms of heaven, earth, and the underworld, with various small stories interspersed with landscapes, creating a unified and harmonious picture. The south wall originally had three statues, which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Fortunately, the villagers used the temple as a warehouse, filling it with various items. The lower part of the mural was somewhat damaged due to salt seepage from stored salt. Although painted during the Ming Dynasty, the murals of the Jiyi Temple inherit the traditions of Yuan Dynasty murals. They use ink lines to outline figures and clothing, employing cinnabar for coloring, along with malachite green, azurite blue, white, and yellow, creating rich layers of color. The warm and cool color combinations, contrasts, and reflections in the figures' clothing are both vibrant and harmonious, showcasing exquisite painting techniques. Thanks to Shanxi's dry climate, the murals have been preserved in such vivid condition. The east wall depicts a pilgrimage scene, with the Three Emperors seated in the hall, surrounded by numerous attendants. Officials, military officers, and farmers come to pay their respects. The figures in the painting are in various poses, holding grains, carrying farming tools, or shouldering game, tying up locust demons, holding ants, or carrying fruit platters and jugs, vividly showcasing scenes of ancient agricultural life. The west wall depicts mythological figures such as Dayu, Houji, and Boyi, as well as activities like burning fields, hunting, slaying dragons, logging, farming, harvesting, and offering sacrifices. Every detail in the painting is full of life, demonstrating the ancient people's reverence for nature and their emphasis on agricultural production. Particularly noteworthy is the locust-catching scene on the east wall. In the picture, a burly farmer is holding a man-sized locust, which struggles to escape as the farmer holds it tightly. This picture vividly depicts the scene of a farmer fighting a locust, reflecting the tenacious spirit of ancient people in their struggle against natural disasters. Opposite the Jiyi Temple is a stage. For centuries, people have come here to offer performances to the deities who protect them, providing spiritual strength to the villagers. The elderly gentleman has a small, four-eyed local dog at the entrance. The little fellow was very excited to see us, wagging its head and tail, its short legs scrambling in excitement. This is a scene of daily life in Shanxi that has played out for thousands of years.

🌟 Jiyi Temple, also known as Yangwang Temple, is located in Yangwang Village, Yangwang Town, Xinjiang County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. It is a temple with a long history and profound cultural heritage. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but according to inscriptions, it was rebuilt during the Yuan Dynasty (1264-1294). The temple mainly worships two historical figures, Houji and Boyi. Houji was an agricultural official during the Yao and Shun periods and was revered as the "God of Agriculture," while Boyi was famous for assisting Yu in controlling floods. The temple faces south, and the original complex included the mountain gate, offering pavilion, stage, and main hall, but now only the stage and main hall remain. In 2001, Jiyi Temple was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. 🎫 Ticket price: CNY 20 per person ⌚ Opening hours: Jiyi Temple is open daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm ✅ Location: Yangwang Village, Yangwang Town, Xinjiang County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province ☀ Personal experience: Walking into Jiyi Temple feels like traveling through time and space, immersing oneself in ancient agricultural civilization. Standing in front of the main hall, looking up at the three-colored glazed tile roof shining in the sunlight, a sense of awe arises. Inside the hall, the eye is drawn to the murals on the walls, colorful and lifelike, telling stories of Houji, Boyi, and ancient agricultural life. The characters in the murals, whether worshiping, working, or hunting, seem to convey their love for life and reverence for nature. In the details of the murals, many lively scenes can be found, such as farmers carrying hoes and holding grains, hunters with knives and bows. These images not only showcase the wisdom and diligence of ancient people but also reflect their longing and pursuit of a better life. Standing in front of these murals, I seem to hear their laughter while working and feel their anticipation for a bountiful harvest and gratitude to nature.

|A record of ancient agricultural civilization. Jiyi Temple is a temple dedicated to Houji and Boyi. Legend has it that Houji was an agricultural official during the reign of Yao and Shun, the ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty, and the founder of Chinese agricultural civilization. He was worshiped as the "God of Agriculture" by later generations. Legend has it that Boyi was an official of Dayu, and the ancestor of the Ying family of the Qin royal family. His main achievement was "helping Dayu control the flood". Jiyi Temple was built in the Song and Jin Dynasties, and was rebuilt and expanded in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The theater and the main hall are relics of the Ming Dynasty. The murals of Jiyi Temple are treasures of ancient Chinese mural art. Most of the content is ancient Chinese myths and legends, praising the deeds of Dayu, Houji, and Boyi in teaching people to farm and benefiting the people. There are "Pilgrimage Map", "Houji Birth" Map, "Teaching People to Farm" Map, including "Burning Map", "Plowing and Harvesting Map", "Logging Map", "Hunting Map" and other contents. It shows the indomitable spirit of the ancient people in conquering natural disasters. There are more than 400 people, gods, and ghosts in all the murals, interspersed with landscapes, trees, flowers, birds, and beasts. They are integrated, with clear layers and novel artistic ideas. They are masterpieces of ancient painting art. Address: S232 (Linxia Line), Xinjiang County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province Transportation: Take Xinjiang Bus No. 16, get off at Nantou Village Station, and walk to the destination Opening hours: 08:00-17:00

A twenty yuan entrance fee per person is neither expensive nor standard. The temple is guarded by an elderly man with the surname Yang, who appears to be in his sixties or seventies and has lived alone in a bungalow on the west side of the temple for years, which is about seven or eight square meters in size. According to his own account, he took over from his father, and both have spent their lives protecting this place. Inside the hall, there is a hand-drawn floor plan of Ji Yi Temple from 2017, with the planner 'Yang Weijun' being the father of the temple guardian. The original mountain gate and the standing statues on both sides were destroyed during the sixties and seventies. To the south of the mountain gate, there is a screen wall and an ancient cypress tree that is a thousand years old, which was cut down by the local ironwood industry and made into dozens of coffins to sell. To the north, there is an offering hall that was also destroyed during the sixties and seventies, and it is unknown which unit was responsible or who led the destruction. Now only the platform base and a few stone steles remain. After just a few decades, without the protection of the offering hall, the inscriptions have become blurred and there are no protective measures. The main hall originally had colorful statues, which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but the building was spared because it was used as a warehouse by the supply and marketing cooperative. Salt bags were piled up against the wall with murals, and the bottom of the murals was eroded by the salt. On the east and west sides of the main hall, there were originally the Holy Mother Shrine and the Guan Di Temple, which were occupied by the village hospital and the credit cooperative, respectively. In the eighties and nineties, they were demolished to build a movie theater, which showed a few movies and then was abandoned. What remains is a Yuan Dynasty stage with five bays, which escaped destruction because it was useful for holding village meetings. Today, the south side of Ji Yi Temple is the local government compound. In Shanxi, the protective measures for murals vary from place to place. It is understandable that photography is not allowed, but when a study tour group of more than a dozen people, each holding a cold light lamp, takes turns photographing, it is us individual visitors who become the soft persimmons. Since we're here, we might as well bask in the light of others, since there are no picture albums for sale to us wild visitors. Murals, this traditional art form, are lessened with each viewing. It's hard to say how well they are protected in the almost free-range state of Ji Yi Temple. We are willing to pay Mr. Yang's fee, as it is at least more sustainable than no compensation at all.