Jiexiu Houtu Temple: A unique primitive worship in Shanxi

Jiexiu Houtu Temple This is a deity that is related to everyone. Simply because it is called Houtu; simply because the birth and growth of every life are connected to the earth that it venerates. Houtu is said to be a descendant of the ancient Emperor Yan, she governs yin and yang, nurtures all things, and thus is known as the Mother of the Earth. Glazed tiles, typically used in imperial buildings and the mansions of the nobility, are exceptionally employed in the ancient architectural complex of the Jiexiu Houtu Temple in Shanxi. Before the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Jiexiu Houtu Temple already existed, with a history of about 1,600 years. The existing buildings were mostly repaired during the Ming Hongwu to Qing Daoguang periods. In front of the main hall hangs a horizontal plaque with the inscription 'Thick Virtue Carries Things', penned by the famous ancient Chinese epigrapher Mr. Zhang Han in 1998. The dougong brackets under the eaves, replacing the use of sparrows, are also very distinctive, with exquisite carvings. All the glazed products in the temple are of pure and bright colors, with accurate and vivid shapes, and are the best-preserved treasures among Chinese temple glazed art. They are recognized by the architectural community as a 'treasure house of glazed architectural art'. It reflects the simple beliefs of the ancestors of the Chinese Han nationality and their understanding of strength and beauty, permeating the aesthetic view that combines ancient Chinese philosophy and art.