2024 Cultural 'Summer' Journey (Seventeen): Erxian Temple in Xiaonan Village

'Erxian' are local deities in the Shangdang area. Apart from Changzhi and Jincheng in Shanxi, there is no other temple in the country dedicated to 'Erxian'. According to legend, these two fairy sisters were born in the Jin Dynasty and were transformed into immortals due to their filial piety and kindness. Therefore, in the Shangdang area, people regard 'Erxian' as protectors and objects of prayer, and have built numerous Erxian temples to worship and honor them. According to incomplete statistics, there are nearly 50 Erxian temples of various sizes in the Shangdang area. From the late Tang Dynasty to the present, the incense worship of Erxian by the people of Shangdang has remained strong. These temples are not only places of faith and worship for the local people but also unique cultural landmarks of the region. The Erxian Temple in Xiaonan Village, also known as Zhenze Palace or Erxian Temple, is located in the southeast village of Jin Village Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, and is an important representative of Erxian culture in the Shangdang area. The temple was built during the Northern Song Dynasty from the first year of Daguan to the seventh year of Zhenghe (1107-1117). In 1996, it was listed as the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The Erxian Temple in Xiaonan Village has three major highlights: 1. The only open-to-the-public Heavenly Palace Pavilion in Shanxi (another one is in Huayan Temple in Datong, which is currently not open to the public), an example of the Heavenly Palace Pavilion in the 'Yingzao Fashi' from the Song Dynasty; 2. Song Dynasty colored sculptures, with statues that are dignified in posture, handsome in appearance, and natural in expression, representing the finest of Song sculptures; 3. The existing main hall with three square rooms in the two-entry courtyard, built with large materials, with four cross-halls on each side, holding an important place in the history of ancient Chinese architecture. Upon entering, one sees a spacious courtyard, with a stage at the southernmost end, and modern imitation ancient buildings on both the east and west sides. The two-entry courtyard is separated by two mountain gates, with ear rooms on both sides of the mountain gate, and the middle gate tightly closed, with entry and exit through the side gates. The ridge and ridge beasts on the eaves of the second mountain gate are exquisitely crafted, with a majestic and fierce-looking warrior sitting steadily at the corners. The offering hall obscures the main hall, which has three rooms in width and six rafters in depth, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. With utmost reverence, one carefully observes and still quotes the words from ancient inscriptions to express one's feelings: 'The hall steps are three feet high, imitating the legacy of Yao's court; the platform is nine layers, like the jade steps of the Chu palace.' Gently pushing open the door and stepping into the main hall, looking up and holding one's breath, one is struck by an indescribable sense of awe. Everyone yearns for the heavenly palace, and the jade towers and pavilions are the true embodiment of the heavenly palace. What unfolds before one's eyes is a real aerial pavilion, suspended in mid-air in the Erxian Hall. The beautiful design inspires admiration from people even after a thousand years! In the center of the shrine in the main hall are seated statues of the two immortals, with 16 attendant statues on both sides, each with different postures and lifelike appearances. In the prominent position in front of the altar, there are two exquisite pavilions on the left and right, connected by a rainbow-like bridge. In the shrine on the lower level of the pavilions are two female officials, the most exquisite of the colored sculptures. They are tall and elegant, wearing the unique Song Dynasty black gauze hats and wide-sleeved python robes, with smooth lines, painted with powder, and decorated with luxurious patterns. They hold ceremonial tablets, and their facial expressions are particularly gentle and charming, with clear eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding a sense of modesty and beauty. Especially the statues of the two immortals on the celestial platform, which are the earliest Song Dynasty colored sculptures in the southeastern Shanxi region, and the only Song Dynasty colored sculptures of the Le family Erxian deities in the entire Shanxi province and even the country. They showcase the exquisite artistry of Song Dynasty colored sculptures and have high research value and historical significance. Erxian Temple in Xiaonan Village