Pingyao Cixiang Temple|One hall, two towers, three heavens!

|One hall, two towers, three heavens! Pingyao Cixiang Temple|One hall, two towers, three heavens Cixiang Temple, located 7.5 kilometers east of Pingyao County in Shanxi Province, was originally named Shengju Temple. It was built during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, and was renamed Cixiang Temple in the third year of Huangyou (1051). At the end of the Song Dynasty, the temple and tower were destroyed by fire, and during the Jin Tianhui period, a new tower was built on the old site, and more than ten halls and pavilions were repaired. Except for the main hall and brick tower, which are relics of the Jin Dynasty, the rest are rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. The temple faces north and south, with three courtyards in front and back. The south is backed by a hill, and the north is facing the Yingjian River, covering an area of 22,427 square meters, with mountains and rivers reflecting each other, which is spectacular. From south to north on the central axis are the mountain gate, stage, front hall, main hall and Lutai Tower, with bell and drum towers and corridors on both sides. In addition, there are 8 steles and 5 ancient cypresses in the temple. The main building, the Daxiong Hall, has five rooms, with a hanging mountain style roof, a clear and bright structure, and large and simple materials. There are now "Three Buddha" statues and murals of more than 100 square meters in the hall, all of which are works of the Jin Dynasty and are masterpieces. The Lutai Tower has an octagonal plane, is 48.2 meters high, and is a nine-story tower with a Q-shaped brick tower. The tower base is a Baixiamen in the south, with 16 kiln holes built around it. The tower body is built with bucket arches from the second to the seventh floor, and the eighth and ninth floors are plain. The top of the tower is a lotus petal shape, and the tower has been destroyed. The tower is hollow, with floors and wooden ladders between each floor, and windows are opened to the north and south on each floor. The "Shengju Temple Lutai Mountain Stele" of the Song Dynasty in the temple, which is more than five meters high, is extremely exquisite in calligraphy and is a valuable material for studying calligraphy art. Cixiang Temple