A visit to Yong'an Zen Temple and Yuanjue Temple in Shanxi.

- Yuanjue Temple, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province: - History: Built by monk Xuanzhen in the third year of Jin Zhenglong (1158), it is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. - Architecture: Originally, it was a group of ancient buildings centered on the tower, including the main hall, east and west side halls, mountain gate, west wing hall, etc. However, when the Japanese invaded in the 1930s, the wooden structures in the temple were destroyed, and now only the brick tower remains. The brick tower is octagonal in plan, with nine floors and dense eaves. It is made entirely of bricks and has no stairs to climb. The base of the tower is a 4-meter-high Sumeru pedestal, on which are carved patterns of lotus, Vajra, and Vajra. On the top of the tower stands an exquisitely shaped iron phoenix (migratory bird), with its head facing west. It can rotate with the wind, serving as both a weather vane and a lightning protector. - Yong'an Temple faces southeast and sits northwest. It has two courtyards, 52 meters wide from east to west and 124 meters deep from south to north, covering an area of ​​6,450 square meters. - Yong'an Temple was founded in the Jin Dynasty. After many years of development, it has become a comprehensive ancient temple historical and cultural heritage that integrates Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism as well as rich folk beliefs and cultural connotations. It has accumulated the historical trajectory of the evolution of local social concepts and culture in different historical periods. - Although the Chuan Fa Zheng Zong Hall has undergone many repairs and protections, it still completely preserves its original structure, architectural style, material technology and unique construction techniques. It is an important classic example for studying the history of early wooden construction technology in northern Shanxi Province, China, and has important historical value in the history of Chinese architecture.