Hanging Sculptures and a Five Sacred Mountains Procession | Niche Beauty, Fenyang Taifu Temple

[Shanxi's Beauty: Fenyang, Five Sacred Mountains Procession, Hanging Sculptures] This is a place easily overlooked when traveling in Shanxi. In fact, when we visited, there were almost no other tourists. This is Taifu Temple, located in Xinghua Village, Shanxi's famous Fenjiu production area. The main hall enshrines Haotian Jade Emperor God, also known as the Jade Emperor. The building dates back to the Jin Dynasty, over 800 years ago. The bamboo and wood shrines and small wooden works are exquisite, masterpieces of the Ming Dynasty. However, the most noteworthy feature of Taifu Temple is the Ming Dynasty painted hanging sculptures in the east and west side halls. Over 500 years old, they are still vibrant and lifelike, truly breathtaking! West Side Hall (Five Sacred Mountains Hall): On the upper parts of the two gable walls, there are hanging sculptures depicting the procession of the Five Sacred Mountains and the Four Great Rivers. The design of the sculptures is ingenious and unique. The picture shows continuous mountain peaks and swirling auspicious clouds. The deities of the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Great Rivers ride in dragon carriages, palanquins, or on horseback, attended by servants holding umbrellas and fans, moving between the mountains, clouds, and mist. Tigers and leopards roam the forests, a green dragon conjures rain among the auspicious clouds, and figures like mountain ghosts and judges, each with their own unique expressions. The figures, animals, clouds, and rocks in the entire scene blend seamlessly, complementing each other, dynamic in stillness, still in motion, combining reality and illusion, vividly depicted, with diverse forms and rich variations. East Side Hall (Houtu Holy Mother Hall): Five rooms wide, seven purlins deep, with a four-pillar front porch structure and a single-eave suspension roof. Inside the hall, 35 painted sculptures are enshrined on the altar and the lower parts of the two gable walls. The back wall and the two gable walls are painted with murals of "Banquet Scenes," depicting life in the Holy Mother's palace. The gable walls are covered with hanging sculptures, showcasing scenes of the Holy Mother's "departure" and "return." Tips: Taifu Temple closes for lunch at 11:30 am and reopens at 3:00 pm.