Jiangzhou Grand Hall, Three Towers, Jiangshou Garden Pond, and Longxing Temple

Xinjiang County, formerly known as Jiangzhou, boasts historical sites such as the Jiangzhou Grand Hall, the Three Towers of Jiangzhou, the Jiangshou Garden Pond, and Longxing Temple.

The Jiangzhou Grand Hall, initially constructed during the Tang Dynasty, served as the administrative center for successive dynasties. The existing structure, built during the Yuan Dynasty, features a facade of seven bays and a depth of eight rafters. Its column bases are in the inverted lotus petal style, some of which are relics from the Tang Dynasty. This grand hall, a representative example of Yuan Dynasty prefectural architecture in Shanxi, exudes a simple yet majestic atmosphere.

The Three Towers of Jiangzhou refer to the bell tower, drum tower, and music tower within the ancient city of Xinjiang, all of which are remnants from the Ming to Republican periods.

The Jiangshou Garden Pond, commonly known as the "Sui Dynasty Garden," was first built during the Sui Dynasty and underwent several renovations during the Tang, Song, and later dynasties, gradually losing its original Sui and Tang appearance.

Longxing Temple, originally named Biluo Temple, was first built during the Tang Dynasty. Among the existing structures, the Mahavira Hall is a relic of the Yuan Dynasty. The temple pagoda, commonly known as Jiang Pagoda or Tang Pagoda, originally had eight stories. Due to age-related collapse, it was rebuilt twice, in the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1777) and in the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941). The original pagoda was encased in blue bricks and increased to thirteen stories, forming an octagonal, multi-storied structure standing 43.7m tall. The temple houses the Biluo Stele, erected in the first year of Xianheng's reign during Emperor Gaozong of Tang (670 AD) by Li Xun, Li Yi, Li Zhuan, and Li Chen, sons of Li Yuanjia (the Prince of Han and eleventh son of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan), to pray for blessings for their deceased mother, Lady Fang. The inscription, written in seal script, consists of 21 lines with 32 characters per line, totaling 630 characters excluding blank spaces. This stele is considered a treasure by calligraphers throughout history.

Post by Vincenzo Waters | Mar 13, 2025