Nanchan Si (Temple of Southern Meditation)
About 177km (110 miles) south of Wutai Shan, turning west off the main road to Taiyuan, a dusty loess road leads to this tranquil ancient temple. It's said that this temple escaped the great Tang persecution of Buddhism in 845 because it was so far from the assemblage of temples on Wutai Shan. Today, its small, perfectly proportioned main hall,Dafo Dian (Hall of the Great Buddha),is reason enough to make the trip. Built in 782, the wooden-frame building has been much restored, but -- unlike the other halls in this complex, which are distinctly of Ming and Qing design -- it has retained its original proportions and graceful Tang design. Features to notice are its gently sloping roof, markedly different from the steep gabled roofs of the previous Northern Wei and Sui dynasties. Along the main roof ridge, the pre-Ming ornaments that curl toward each other are calledchiwei,meaning "owl tails." The word refers to a mythical sea monster -- one of the sons of the dragon -- believed to protect against fire. Inside the hall are 17 Tang dynasty painted clay statues stationed around the large figure of Sakyamuni. The large statue in the far left corner is Manjusri riding a lion.