JinciTemple,25kmawayfromdowntownTaiyuanCitylocatedatthefootofHangingJarMountain,isaplaceofinterestfamousforitslonghistoryandrichculturalrelics,whichissurroundedbymountainsandtreesandinfusedwithapleasantairandbirds'wings.
Shuyugovernedthestatewisely.HemadetheagriculturedevelopedatthattimebyusingtheJinRiver.Peoplelivedinahappylifeformorethan800years.Tocommemoratethewiseduke,amemorialtemplewasbuiltatthemostbeautifulplaceoftheTangState,whichwascalledTangShuyuMemorialTemple.Shuyu'ssoncameintopowerandrenamedthestateJinbecausehislandwasthesourceoftheJinRiver.Hence,thisiswherethenameJincomesfrom—theshortenformofShanxiProvince.AndthememorialtemplewasrenamedKingJin'sMemorialTemple.
Nooneissurewhenthememorialtemplewasfirstbuilt,buttheearliestrecordcanbefoundinthebookofShuiJingzhu,writtenbygeographerLiDaoyuanduringtheNorthernWeiDynastysome1,500yearsago.Hewrote:“Westoftheponds,attheedgeofmountainsandriversliesTangShuyuMemorialTemple,inwhichtheprosperousspringflowsnearoddpavilionsandtheflyingbridgecrossesoverjade-likewaters.”Fromitsfirstbuilt,thememorialtemplewasrenovatedandenlargedconstantly.Asaresult,ithasbecomeamixtureofConfucianism,BuddhismandTaoism,aswellasatreasuretroveofwell-preservedancientarchitecture.Therearemorethan100structuressuchaspalaces,halls,buildings,pavilions,terracesandbridgesinthetemple,amongwhichtheSaintMotherHallbuiltintheSongDynasty,theFlyingBridgeacrosstheFishPondsandtheOfferingsHallarecalledthreenationaltreasuresidentifiedbytheMinistryofCulture.
OntheaxisofJinciTemple,fourmajestic-lookingironguardsstand.Ninehundredyearshavepassedbuttheystilllooksplendidandimpressive.FiguresofSongDynastyMaidservantsintheSaintMotherHallareechoingthestrongironguards,especiallythethirty-threemaidsstatues.Thosecoldfacesanddullexpressions,whichwereusuallyusedintheearlysculptureart,cat'tbeseenhere.Onthecontrary,thisisaman'ssocietythatiscomposedofthesethinkingmaidswhoactfeelingly.Theirfrownsandsmiles,eventhemovementofhandsandfeet,areabletomakeyoulostinreverie.Whenviewingthem,wecouldevenhearthemlaughlively,whispersecretlyandsighhelplessly.In1945,whenafamousChinesesculptor—Mr.LiuKaiqvsawthestatues,hesaid:“Thisisarealhumansociety,anunforgettable,emotionalandbeautifulrealm.”Anotherextraordinaryaspectisthatthepowerfulironguardsandthemildclaymaidservantsmakeavividcontsast,asdidn'thappenoccasionally.Thoseancientanonymouscraftsmenmadetheclaybreathethroughthephilosophicdialecticsandtheartisticbalance.Howwonderfulitis!
Withitslonghistoryandpeculiarscenery,JinciTemplehasattractedmanyliteratiandscholarssincebefore.ThefirstemperoroftheSuiDynasty,theSecondEmperoroftheTangDynastyandthefirstemperorofSongDynastyallvisitedJinciTemple.Theylookedaround,andwrotemanybeautifulpoemsandcompositions.Theyleftmorethan300stonetabletsmarkedwithimportantinscriptions,amongwhichthestonetabletwithaninscriptionwrittenbyLiShimin—thesecondemperoroftheTangDynastyisthemostprecious.In646,LiShimincamehereonhiswaybacktothecapitalfromthebattlefieldagainsttheancientKorea.Lookingbackuponhisearlylife,hesignedwithemotionandwroteacompositionandhaditcarvedonastonetablet.Thisishowthestonetabletthatproclaimed,inwonderfulcalligraphy,theemperor'spoliticalviewsinhislaterlifecameintobeing.
In1959,Mr.GuoMuoruowroteapoetthatwonuniversalpraise—VisitJinciTemple,aftertravelingJinciTemple.Itgoes:“TheSaintMotherwasYiJiangandthestoryofKnightingBrothermakesthehistorylong.TheSuiLocustTreeandtheZhouCpressareagedandtheSongPalaceandTangStoneTabletmakeasplendor.WiththeFlyingBridgearrayingtheNeverAgingSpringgurgles.Amidsttheforty-threebeautifulfigures,laughterandgreathumorfeelsenses.”
Encircledbyprettymountains,infusedwithapleasantair,dottedbylarge,agedpinesandcypressesandwithmagnificentbuildingsandpavilios,JinciTemplealwaysmakestouristslongtostay.Itisreallyagoodplaceofinterest,recreation,entertainment,andadventure.
Ittakes20minutesfromtheWusuairporttoJincitemplebytheexpressway.Buses804、848and856canleaddirectlytoJinciTemple.