Going to Xia to take advantage of the summer vacation to visit Shanxi and Fen. The Yudao River outside Fenyang City is an excellent place to spend the summer on the right side of the mountain. It is located at the foot of Baibiao Mountain. Because there is a "horse running sacred spring" in the divine head, the sweet spring was kicked out by the horses of Taizong of the Song Dynasty and saved the thirsty people. In the Three Armies, this spring water has never stopped flowing, providing motive power for dozens of mills along the river for thousands of years. Until the electric mill established the center of Shanxi's flour industry in Pingyao, this steady stream of water began to idle away, leaving only the twists and turns of the painting. Now that the sound of the pulleys has died down, the empty mill has become a summer villa for many foreigners.

Speaking of places where Chinese people spend summer vacation, there is no place that was not opened by foreigners, Beidaihe, Guling, Moganshan..., so Yudaohe is no exception. In fact, the people who summered in Yudaohe last year, except for a professor who married a British wife and us, were all foreign missionaries from Shanxi mainland. It cannot be said that it is a place for Chinese people to spend summer. In those short ten days, people felt that "there are so few people around".

Based on Fenyang Yudao River, we have made many trips to neighboring counties and stopped in eight counties, namely Taiyuan, Wenshui, Fenyang, Xiaoyi, and Jiexiu , Lingshi, Huoxian, and Zhaocheng. The distance between Xiu and Zhaocheng is more than 300 miles. Because the Tongpu Railway was being built in the mountains, many sections of the highway were destroyed, so most of them had to go on foot, which gave a particularly rich taste. Living in the wind and rain, living in hard and simple conditions for two weeks, there is at least two centuries of difference from ordinary cities. We have visited no fewer than thirty or forty ancient structures, and relics from the Yuan and Ming dynasties can be found everywhere. We will only select them here to record.

Longtian Temple in Yudao River, Fenyang County

Where we live, there are several small temples on the two cliffs of Yudao River. The actual temple on the east cliff is famous for its beautiful scenery. The Dragon King Temple in Shentou has enjoyed thousands of years of fireworks due to the Mapao Spring. There is a blackened Song Dynasty stele in front of the main hall. As a guarantee of this era, this stele is the only "antique" in the temple. There is a Guandi Temple on the south end of Xiyan. It has been built several times and has a mixed style, which is very interesting. There is a Longtian Temple in the north. Although there is nothing surprising in terms of age or structure, it is well-organized and beautiful. We can regard it as a representative work of small temples in southern Shanxi.

The Longtian Temple is located on the west rock. The temple faces south. Its east facade, the back of the verandah, the bell tower and the surrounding wall form a long silhouette, overlooking the stream and faintly visible among the poplars. Under the setting sun, it is most interesting to people walking along the stream. The perspective of Shanxi temples, regardless of size, has two characteristics: first, the three-dimensional organization, the balance is beautiful, each part is uneven, the size is dependent on each other, and it is just right when viewed from any angle; the first is that in Shanxi, brick or stone masonry The colors are pure and harmonious, mostly with red and yellow colors. In the sunlight, they are intoxicated with the mountains and fields. They are rich and eye-catching, especially when the sun sets in the west, the bricks and stones are dyed, and the far and near are reflected in bright red, which is very beautiful. On these two points, Longtian Temple is no exception. Outsiders in the valley have not known its name for thirty years, but based on this impression, it is not without reason that this temple is called the "Sunset Temple".

There are winding paths up and down the earth slope around the temple. The slope is isolated like an island, far away from the villages. There used to be a patch of pines and cypresses in front of the temple, but now there is only one old pine, standing proudly and silently like a guarding soldier. The temple gate is closed during the day and is rarely opened. If you meet an old man working outside the gate, you can temporarily borrow the key and go in and out at will. Originally, most people in this area do not pick up things on the street and do not close their homes at night. The so-called key is only an iron nail and It's just a formal storage procedure. This phenomenon can actually represent the preservation conditions of many other temples, large and small, in mainland Shanxi.

There is no one in the temple, the vines are shining in the evening, and accompanied by the stone steps of the temple verandah, it is quiet and mysterious, just like in a painting. The two compartments are "kilns" with a flat roof and brick steps that can be climbed up. When the weather is clear and the sun is beautiful, you can have a full view of the surrounding scenery. The mountains in this area are gentle and flat, connecting the east and west areas of the Fenhe River. Looking from a distance, the mountains and mountains of Mian Mountain look like haze from the sky. However, in the evening, standing silently on a high place, it really doesn't match the feeling of the setting sun in the ancient plains. The nearby mountains are all covered with terracotta hills, and the layers are flattened, as if they were made by hand. Farmers often dug holes to "live in caves" and farm on them. Wheat millet terracotta, alternately red and green, forms horizontal layers. There are various caves on each level of the earth cliff. From a distance, it looks like a parallel bridge cave. The scenery has a special interest of its own. Among the poplar bushes along the stream, there are dotted earthen bungalows, courtyards and mills, making it even more scattered and lovely.

The layout of Longtian Temple has a long north-south center line, and a mountain gate is built on the south wall. There is no screen wall inside the door, but it is the back of the theater building.

Most of the temples we see in central and southern Shanxi are attached to theaters, and there is no stage protruding outward in the layout. The lower part of the building has a solid base, and the upper part has three walls, one of which is open and faces the main hall, which is the stage. There is a row of mountain pillars in the middle of the stage, which can be divided into front and back stages when curtains are hung. At the gate on the left side of the building, there are more than ten stone steps that can be climbed up and down. In Longtian Temple, this theater building blocks the entrance to the mountain gate and forms a large screen wall.

After turning around the theater building, the courtyard is very deep. To the north of the building, there are bell and drum towers on the left and right, with a small archway in the middle. The courtyard is also raised two or three levels here and is divided into the main courtyard. The north of the courtyard is the main hall, and the left and right wing rooms are three brick kiln rooms each. There are eaves in front and brick steps on the side for climbing to the roof. Cave dwelling is still popular in the countryside of Shanxi. Residents like to build brick kilns (i.e. caves) in their houses, and many kilns are built on both sides of temples for monks to live. The kiln roof platform can be climbed up and down from the steps outside the kiln. This is similar to the stacked earth houses of the Mexican Red Seal people, with the beauty of a three-dimensional stacked structure. The Bell and Drum Tower also uses the kiln where coupons are issued as the lower platform, with a wooden square pavilion erected on it. There are also brick steps outside the platform base, which are attached to the base wall and can be climbed into the square pavilion. The whole building is mainly made of bricks, which is different from the wooden bell and drum towers in other provinces.

There is an open hall outside the front corridor of the main hall, which is called the "food shed" immediately in front of the corridor. This structure is actually a rolling shed-style corridor, with walls on both sides and an open space between the front and rear eaves and columns. There are no decorations or walls. Its function is very clear in name, so there is no need to explain it in detail. In other provinces, what is called a sacrificial hall or front hall is quite far away from the main hall and is not open. This food tent is really another interesting way to use the sacrificial hall.

Lingyan Temple, Xiaoxiang Village, Fenyang County

Xiaoxiang Village, like Daxiang Village, is next to the highway between Wenshui in Fenyang, but Daxiang Village is to the east of the road. Xiaoxiang Village is on the west side of the road and far away from Fenyang. Lingyan Temple is on the hillside, far behind the village. It has a tall tower, majestic pavilions, and glazed palace tiles, which are reflected in the setting sun. It is easy to tell that it is from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but the scenery is beautiful and charming, and it cannot be ignored by passers-by. .

Leave the highway and walk along the dirt road for four or five miles to the village front gatehouse. The building spans the upper part of the earth city, and the lower part has a circular gate, just like other villages in Shanxi. The whole road runs through the whole village. It is muddy and bumpy after the rain. It is difficult to enter Shu together. The more we walk, the more tired we are. The more we realize that Lingyan Temple is far away. Then we realize that in Fenyang area, the plains and pavilions look closer from a distance. It is difficult to calculate the distance with impressions. . Arriving in front of the temple, although there is only a mountain gate cave in the dilapidated structure, the size of the temple site can be seen at a glance.

When you enter the gate, you can only see the Washuo mound, which is full of desolation. In the middle is the ruins of the Tianwang Hall, which rises like a tomb and looks majestic. The brick pagodas and heavy towers seen in the road are still far behind. There is another mound further in, which should be the original front hall. In the middle, two iron Buddhas sit in the open air, with a large lotus seat in the middle. A glimpse of it in the setting sun is strange and moving. , travelers are tired of traveling, and at this point they suddenly have wonderful enlightenments and enter a new realm. Next is the site of the main hall. In the background, the towers are getting closer and closer, and there are three Iron Buddhas, sitting as calmly as before. The one in the east has his head bowed and his head bent forward, showing compassion and concern. At this time, the distant mountains are clear in the evening, and the sky is like a sky. The two sites are not palaces, but palaces. They are solemn and beautiful, and they do not borrow the pictures of Liang Dong. The worshipers are even more silent and pious, and can't help but become more silent.

The iron statues bear the title of Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty and are extremely finely cast. The one in the middle of the front hall has been leaning on the ground and is half buried in the earth.

Each hall of Lingyan Temple was originally built as a cave dwelling. The brick caves are complex and interconnected, just like the remains of ancient Rome. Looking down from the top of the broken wall mound, the main hall is to the west and there are many ruined kilns. Survival. It is more like a secret chamber in a tunnel, with a gloomy atmosphere and a slightly scary feeling. There are many coffins in the middle and bricks on the outside. The impression is slightly like a Roman sarcophagus. Visiting ruins in China with wooden buildings is very rare. In one of the caves, there are still paintings on the bottom of the coupons. The colors are bright and the paintings are exquisite. They should be relics of the Ming Dynasty.

The brick pagoda is located behind the main hall and was built in the 28th year of Jiajing reign of Ming Dynasty. This tower can be regarded as a representative of a late Ming brick tower in Shanxi and Hebei provinces.

Behind the brick tower, there is a small brick city. Enter the square city through the small door on the side. It is a different world. The pavilions and corridors are still very complete, but there is no sound. The courtyard is deserted, overgrown with weeds, and as quiet as a dream. ; Compared with the majestic ruins outside the "city", the iron Buddha sitting on the exposed surface has a very special flavor.

There are five kilns in the left and right side halls of this courtyard. The kilns are solidly built, and the back faces outward, which is the small city wall you can see. There is a carved wooden statue in each hall. There are seven base kilns in the north, and seven large halls are built above. In the distance, there are majestic glazed tiles.

There are also kiln towers on both sides, with winding stone terraces. You can climb the small pavilion from outside the kiln and enter the main building. The sunset is setting in the desert, and the pale shadows are moving with people. There is poetry and painting everywhere, and the temporary memory is hardly as good as the shape of the architectural structure.

I went downstairs and wandered under the corridors of the east and west side halls to read the inscriptions. Surrounded by thorns, I found a stele from the Chongzhen period of Zhu Zhijun. The inscription described the construction of Shuilu Tower in great detail.

Zhu Zhijun's autobiography: "I stayed in the temple at night and walked in the courtyard. Looking up to the left and right, there were towers with wings, magnificent and magnificent, as if they were newly formed... I felt strange, and my quality was clear and I was like a general master. The master is the statue of Yu Yan in the Water and Land Pavilion, which is quite consistent with the dream. Yu Yin was inspired by the water and land expedition, and he was very moved..." There are still many tablets in various places, describing the past history of the temple. Only the current dilapidated condition and its reasons cannot be found on the monument.

While we were nostalgic, an old villager came in, interrupted our contemplation, started asking questions, and told us the last page of the tragic history of this temple. It is said that when the village chief was replaced in the 26th year of Guangxu's reign, the old and new chiefs each set up their own banners, encouraged the villagers to fight and demolished the temple. In a few days, it turned into a field of rubble, which was very sad. Now the whole temple only has one courtyard and a tower outside the courtyard.

Dongyue Temple in Wutun Village, Xiaoyi County

Starting from Fenyang and heading south, you could have hired a church bus to Jiexiu, but instead took a bus to Huozhou from Jiexiu. Zhaocheng and other counties. However, after the heavy rain, the roads were muddy, and the Tongpu Road was being built by demolishing the mountain. Many sections of the highway had been demolished and were inaccessible. We trudged and slept in the open along the way, but most of them could be reached on foot.

We once stayed in Wutun Village outside Xiaoyi City due to roadblocks. We stayed overnight under the main hall corridor of Dongyue Temple at the east gate of the village. The temple was very small, with only one courtyard and one hall. The structure of the main hall was peculiar, and the roof was The complicated practices are the most extreme among the temples we have seen in Shanxi. The small hall faces the east gate, sitting in the middle of the field, like a country bride, with flowers on her head, looking like she is about to return home.

The temple is paved with bricks and filled very high. The surrounding walls are as short as railings. Because the ground outside the wall is low, there is no need for high walls to surround it. It is surrounded by scenery on three sides and a tower on the other. The place is also very unique. The temple wing has been used as a country school, but classes are only held in the middle of the day. The urchins arrive at sunrise and disperse at dusk. There is only an old man guarding the place at night. I heard that he is also a teacher during the day and his salary is only twenty gold per year.

The courtyard is slightly square, with the hall in the middle of the courtyard, and the plane is square, with a shallow narrow building in front. There are sloping screen walls on both sides, and the roof of the temple is built with a hill. The same is true for the Baoxia, but with the mountain facing forward, it is very similar to the main hall of Our Lady with an open gate. However, because the front is Baoxia, the whole roof is in a complicated shape. With decorations, it becomes richer. It's unimaginable. The brackets in this hall are very unique. The balance of the whole flower is unusual for ordinary brackets. Because the horizontal arches-especially the mud arches and their slow arches-are very short, the outline of the brackets is steep and tall and thin. . The hall is one deep and has three brackets. The Baoxia is slightly narrower than the main hall, and is paved with tweens, with each layer sloping at a forty-five-degree angle. The raised mouth is delicate and the penetration is quite deep. The knuckles on each bracket are only half as thick as the wood. They are carved as Overlord Fists, and the drawbacks of bad craftsmen's tricks are clearly visible.

Under the forehead of the side railing, use a horn on the outside of the stigma instead of on the forehead. The outer end of the horn sticks out of the column, and supports the railing under the forehead, which is square and undecorated. This approach inadvertently coincides with the principle of mechanics. , but it is a rare example. The eaves are made of one layer of rafters, and there are no flying rafters, which is also strange. But the date of construction is difficult to determine. We stayed on the porch at night, looking up at the dark shadows under the eaves, watching the cool moon appear and disappear under the clouds, stars appearing and disappearing, artificial nature, leisurely blending into dreams, and the taste is profound.

Excerpted from Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin's "Preliminary Investigation of Ancient Buildings in Jinfen"

Originally published in Volume 5, Issue 3, of the Journal of Construction Society in 1935

Reprinted from: Chu Chen Culture