Xiǎntōng Temple – the largest temple in town – was erected in AD 68 and was the first Buddhist temple in the area. It comprises more than 100 halls and rooms. The Qiānbō Wénshū Hall contains a 1000-armed, multifaced Wenshu, whose every palm supports a miniature Buddha. The squata brick Beamless Hall (无梁殿; Wúliáng Diàn) holds a miniature Yuan-dynasty pagoda, remarkable statues of contemplative monks meditating in the alcoves and a vast seated effigy of Wenshu.
Further on, up some steps is the blindingly beautiful Golden Hall , enveloped in a constellation of small Buddhas covering all the walls. Five-metres high and weighing 50 tonnes, the metal hall was cast in 1606 before being gilded; it houses an effigy of Wenshu seated atop a lion.
