Journey to Shanxi—Longxing Temple in Xinjiang

Walking on the streets of Xinjiang County, no matter where you stand, you can see that towering ancient pagoda, which is Longxing Temple. The entrance fee is 20 yuan, and if you want to visit the tower, you need to pay an additional 5 yuan. 🌟Highlights: Longxing Temple Longxing Temple, it is said to have been established during the Tang Dynasty and was originally named 'Biluo Guan'. In the first year of Xianheng of Tang Gaozong (670 AD), it was renamed Longxing Palace. According to the 'Zhili Jiangzhou Zhi', it was renamed Longxing Temple because Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin once stayed here. Biluo Stele The Biluo Stele was engraved in the third year of Zongzhang of Tang (670 AD). It was erected by the four brothers of Li Xun, Li Yi, Li Yi, and Li Mou, the sons of Han Wang Li Yuanjia, the eleventh son of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, for their mother Fang Taifei (the daughter of Fang Xuanling) to pray for blessings. The content is to praise the virtuous style of his mother Fang Fei. The stele is full of 21 columns, each with 32 characters, and a total of 630 characters except for the vacant places. The whole article is engraved with various characters such as Tang Xiaozhuan, Zhongding, Xie, and Liu, and the writing is ancient and exquisite. Zhang Han, a famous calligrapher and ancient philologist of the Tang Dynasty, called it 'the only existing inscription in China that uses the ancient script written in Xiaozhuan script'. Longxing Pagoda The Longxing Pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty, originally eight floors. In the forty-second year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1777 AD), it was rebuilt in the form of a pagoda and increased to thirteen floors. The pagoda is 43.7 meters high, with a delicate structure and a beautiful posture. It is octagonal in shape, and the pillars and brackets are all made of imitation wood structure. Each level is inlaid with stone inscriptions. The bottom of the pagoda has doors on all four sides, and there are hanging ladders for climbing. What is magical and puzzling is that the tower has 'smoked' many times, but there is no scientific explanation for its cause to this day.