Yingxian

I had already been to Yingxian last year to see the Muta, but I returned because I wanted to see a lesser known sight – Jingtu Temple. When I first went to Yingxian I did not visit the temple because I did not realize its architectural significance. After reading an entire paper about it, I decided that I should definitely go and see it.

Arriving at 4:30, I decided to pay too much for a taxi as I was concerned that I would not get to the temple before it closed. After a short journey through the dirt roads of hutongs to the east of the Muta, I saw a grand old building from a distance in between two decrepit houses. The temple is very small – consisting of just one main hall. An article about the temple explains that only one hall survived the Cultural Revolution. I wonder how large it was before? I was pleased to discover that the temple was indeed still open, but disappointed that the hall was locked! I asked an old man about it and he said I couldn’t go in. Later on the helpful taxi driver also talked to the man who clarified that the master of the temple was taking part in service (the chanting voices that I could hear from behind the hall) and that the hall would be opened for this service at 6:00 PM. I did not want to wait around. I really did not want to spend the night in Yingxian. So, I took the taxi back to the bus station and got the evening bus to Shuozhou.

Yingxian is a rather interesting town. Unlike some other towns with important cultural monuments (such as the two Yixians), Yingxian has made an effort to build traditional style building. The entire area around the Muta is traditional style, which is nice. I sincerely hope that they don’t build any tall buildings in the town. The Muta has been the tallest for nearly a thousand years, and I hope it remains as such.