[2025 Changzhi Attraction] Travel Guide for Yuanqi Temple (Updated Mar)

📍Location: Xinan Village, Huangniuti Township, Lucheng District, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province 🚗How to get there: 1. Self-driving: Navigate to "Yuanqi Temple" and park for free. 2. Public transportation: Changzhi Bus Station → Lucheng District Bus (40 minutes) → Taxi to the scenic spot (about 30 yuan, no bus). 🎫Tickets: Free (no tickets required, but please contact the cultural relics protection officer to open the door). ⏰Opening hours: 9:00–17:00 (no strict restrictions, but it's better to contact the cultural relics protection officer in advance). ✨Three must-sees: 1. Qinglong Pagoda of the Northern Song Dynasty An octagonal seven-story brick pagoda, a "building textbook" of the Song Dynasty! 56 iron bells on the eaves jingle in the wind, and eight iron warriors on the top of the pagoda are chained, said to suppress the "phoenix throat" leading to the Zhanghe River. The shadow of the pagoda and the muddy Zhanghe River are reflected in the sunset. 2. Sutra Pillar and Incense Pavilion of the Tang Dynasty The Tang Dynasty blue stone Sutra Pillar is engraved with the Dharani Sutra, and the bottom of the pavilion is decorated with the reliefs of musicians with fluttering sleeves. The Incense Pavilion has four stone pillars, which hide a seven-character quatrain: "Mist shrouds the pagoda, smoke shrouds the temple, listen to the bell at dusk, listen to the tide at night." 3. Daxiong Hall of the Song Dynasty A pure Song structure with three rooms, a single eaves, and a hipped roof! The eaves pillars rise from the side, and the four-bay single-beam dougong is hidden in the beams. 💡In-depth experience: Gently tap the Tang Dynasty Sutra Pillar and feel the temperature of the stone carving from the Wu Zhou period (said to be related to Wu Zetian); squat at the corner of the wall and observe the wind marks on the pillar base, the traces of repairs from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties; listen to the cultural relics protection officer tell the legends of "Iron Man's Dream" and "Fairy's Transformation into Phoenix," which are more exciting than "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio." 👀Real experience: Standing in the small temple, the Sutra Pillar of the Tang Dynasty, the Daxiong Hall of the Song Dynasty, and the side hall of the Ming and Qing dynasties are all in sight, which is a slice of solidified time! When the iron bell rings in the wind, it seems to hear the mood of Du Fu's "Deep Mountain Hiding Ancient Temple." There is no tourist noise here, only the sound of the cultural relics protection officer walking with a bunch of keys. Tips: Contact the cultural relics protection officer Li Shifu in advance (private message me for his phone number). Wear Hanfu, wind blowing sleeves + ancient pagoda background, so beautiful, haha.

❤Reasons to recommend: Yuanqi Temple in Changzhi, Shanxi, is located on the top of Phoenix Mountain in Xin'an Village, Xiahuang Township, Changzhi City. It was first built in the sixth year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (747 AD) and is an ancient temple with a long history. In the second year of the Yuanyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1087 AD), the Great Sage Pagoda was added, becoming an important architectural landscape in the temple. 🌟Highlights: Although the Yuanqi Temple is not large, its overall layout is rigorous. The central axis is the Xiangting Pavilion and the Daxiong Hall, with the Peidian on the east side and the Great Sage Pagoda on the west side. This layout reflects the architectural style of traditional Chinese Buddhist temples, solemn and solemn. 💎Daxiong Hall: Its architectural style has typical Song Dynasty characteristics and is an important example of studying Song Dynasty architecture. Great Sage Pagoda: Also known as the Qinglong Pagoda, it was built in the Northern Song Dynasty and is an outstanding representative of ancient Chinese brick pagodas. 💎Xiangting Pavilion: The Xiangting Pavilion in front of the hall is a relic of the Qing Dynasty. 💎Octagonal bluestone sutra pagoda: The sutra pagoda is engraved with the Dharani Sutra and the inscription of the pagoda temple. The eight sides of the sutra pagoda are carved with the image of a female musician, with exquisite craftsmanship, and it is one of the important cultural relics of Yuanqi Temple. Yuanqi Temple: Free admission! Such a national cultural protection unit can only be free in Shanxi!

📍Location: Xinan Village, Huangniuti Township, Lucheng City, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, at the peak of Fenghuang Mountain (a particularly small mountain, next to the village, just two flights of stairs up) 🌈Attraction Features: Yuanqi Temple faces south, with excellent feng shui, and can be seen from afar. The overall architectural layout is very interesting, with a central axis featuring the Xiang Pavilion and the Mahavira Hall, an auxiliary hall on the east side, and the Dasheng Pagoda on the west side. The best-preserved structures we see now are the Mahavira Hall and the Qinglong Pagoda, both typical Song Dynasty structures. The others were rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although the entire Yuanqi Temple was originally built in the Tang Dynasty and the Qinglong Pagoda was built in the Song Dynasty, this pagoda has withstood many years of weathering and still exudes extraordinary charm. Each corner of the pagoda has wind chimes hanging from it, which sound very pleasant when the wind blows. 🚗Travel Tips: We took the high-speed train to Changzhi South Station, rented a car, and then set off from Changzhi South Station. The journey was nearly 60 kilometers and took an hour and a half. 💗Other Tips: There is a long bench in front of the pagoda. Be sure to sit there and daydream for a while, facing the Qinglong Pagoda, with the sound of the wind and the chimes, which is very pleasant and long-lasting.