A journey to the past - Longquan Temple, Mount Wutai.

Longquan Temple, built in the Song Dynasty, is located at the foot of Zhongtai Mountain, Mount Wutai, Shanxi. It is named after a spring next to the temple called Longquan. The temple was originally the family temple of the Yang family. Although it is not large in scale and is not the oldest temple in Mount Wutai, it is well-known in the scenic area. This is mainly because the temple is full of exquisite brick carvings and stone carvings, making it the most beautiful temple in Mount Wutai. The temple faces south and covers an area of 15,950 square meters. The existing buildings include a plaque, a shadow wall, steps, and three courtyards. The stone plaque on the 108 steps is carved from pure Han white jade, and the three doors and six pillars are covered with various patterns such as flying dragons, flower beams, paper fans, and treasure mirrors. The overall appearance is majestic and spectacular, exquisite and transparent, and it is a rare treasure of modern carving art. The exquisite and spectacular stone plaque in front of the gate of Longquan Temple is the most famous stone carving plaque among the cultural relics of Mount Wutai. The three rooms and four pillars and three floors are in a wooden structure. The brackets, rafters, flying children, tiles, drips, etc. are all exquisitely carved, forming a "一" shape. The overall appearance is majestic and spectacular, and it is ingeniously crafted. There are 89 Jiaolong carved on the plaque, with scales and claws, and lifelike expressions. The back of the stone plaque is equipped with a large stone lion, with stone flagpoles on both sides, and a stone arch behind, all in Han white jade. The stone plaque is exquisitely carved and is a treasure of stone carving architecture. The various patterns on the plaque are not only exquisite, but also meticulously carved. The stamens and grass leaves are as thin as hair and as thin as gauze; the beasts and birds are vivid and vivid; the expressions of the characters are lifelike. The knife work is so fine that it is as thin as a hair and as thin as a cicada's wings. It really feels like "open your mouth and fear the bird, stretch out your hand and fear the branch". It is a rare art treasure.