Xiaoxitian Temple 小西天Xiǎoxītiān

Why go to Xiaoxitian Temple

On Phoenix Hill at the western edge of Xi County town, Xiaoxitian ('Little Western Heaven', also called Qianfo'an) is a small late-Ming Buddhist temple laid out in two courtyards up the slope. Climb to the Mahavira Hall in the upper courtyard, only about 170 square metres, where nearly 2,000 painted clay figures, from about 3 metres tall to a few centimetres high, crowd the walls and beams, many of them 'suspended' sculptures fixed high up on iron wires.

The story

A monk named Dongming from Mount Wutai began the temple in 1629, and work on the hall's sculptures ran from the last years of the Ming into the early Qing. In 2024 the hall appeared in the video game Black Myth: Wukong, bringing a surge of visitors to Xi County.

What to see at Xiaoxitian Temple

• Weituo Hall 韦陀殿: In the lower courtyard, facing the Wuliang Hall. The Weituo figure here is said to be carved from a single block of nanmu wood.
• Wuliang Hall 无量殿: The chanting hall for monks in the lower courtyard holds a wooden pavilion model and many bronze Buddha figures.
• Great Hall 大雄宝殿: Five connected niches hold the five principal Buddhas, flanked by ten disciples. The suspended sculptures, begun in the late Ming and finished in the early Qing, include Guanyin and birds such as peacocks and parrots.
• Manjusri and Samantabhadra Halls 文殊殿、普贤殿: These two halls face each other across the upper courtyard and complete the group with the Great Hall.

How to visit Xiaoxitian Temple

Work up the slope from the lower courtyard, with the Weituo and Wuliang halls, to the upper courtyard, where the Great Hall faces the Manjusri and Samantabhadra halls. The Great Hall admits only about 40 people at a time, so queues can be long at busy times, and the outer courtyards and other halls make a good use of the waiting time. The temple itself takes little time, while most of a day goes on the journey from Linfen.

How to get to Xiaoxitian Temple

Linfen West is 1–1.5 hours from Taiyuan South by high-speed train. Xi County is about 120 km north-west of Linfen, around 1.5–2 hours by car or about 2 hours by bus from Linfen's bus station, then a short taxi ride to the foot of Phoenix Hill.

Where to stay

Xi County town, where homestays and cafes have opened around the scenic area, is the practical base for an early start; otherwise return to Linfen, which has the high-speed station.

What to eat

• Yuluxiang pear 玉露香梨: The county's best-known crop, grown widely here and sold fresh in season; Xi County exports it abroad.

Tips for visiting Xiaoxitian Temple

• Book a timed entry slot in advance on the scenic area's WeChat account or Ctrip; daily numbers are capped and holiday slots sell out.
• The hall holds only about 40 people at a time, so go early on a weekday and expect queues.
• Day tours and hired cars from Linfen often pair Xiaoxitian with Hukou Waterfall in one long day.

Nearby

• Hukou Waterfall 壶口瀑布 70 km
  The muddy Yellow River squeezed into a roaring rock chute between Shanxi and Shaanxi
• Wang Family Compound 王家大院 90 km
  Fortified courtyard 'castles' of a Qing merchant and official clan on a loess hillside
• Guangsheng Temple 广胜寺 90 km
  A 13-storey glazed-tile pagoda above Yuan halls and murals, among them a theatre scene
• Mount Mian 绵山 90 km
  Cliff temples, plank walkways and gorges on the mountain of the Cold Food legend
• Qikou Ancient Town and Lijiashan Village 碛口古镇·李家山村 110 km
  Stone lanes of an old Yellow River port and a hillside village of stacked cave homes
• Shuanglin Temple 双林寺 120 km
  Some 2,000 painted clay Buddhas, saints and guardians crowded into ten temple halls

Also within 30 km: Xixian Drum Tower 隰县鼓楼 (under 10 km), Qilijiao Thousand Buddha Grottoes, Xixian 七里脚千佛洞石窟 (under 10 km), Shanshenyu Thousand Buddha Grotto 山神峪千佛洞石窟 (20 km), Yonghe Confucian Temple 永和文庙 (30 km).

On the map

Open Xiaoxitian Temple on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia: Xi County, Shanxi