Xi County, Shanxi

The county was named after a definition in the ancient Chinese dictionary Erya which stated "that which is wet shall be called xi" (), in reference to the county's wet period during the spring. == History ==

During the Han dynasty, the area was organized as Puzi County (). Under the Northern Wei, the northern portion of present-day Xi County was organized as part of , and the southern portion was part of Pingchang County (). In 579 CE, the Northern Zhou established Changshou County () in the area, under the jurisdiction of . In 585 CE, the area was reorganized as , which existed on and off until the area was reorganized as Xichuan County () in the mid 14th century. In 1912, the area was reorganized as Xi County, as it is today, belonging to . Under the People's Republic of China, the county was under the jurisdiction of , until it was reorganized as Linfen in 1970. == Geography ==

The county is located on the western edge of the Lüliang Mountains, with an average elevation ranging from to above sea level. Xi County's highest point is above sea level. The , a tributary of the Yellow River, flows through the county. ==Climate==

== Administrative divisions ==

Xi County administers three towns and five townships. Towns The county's three towns are , , and . Townships The county's five townships are , , , , and . == Demographics ==

The county's population per the 2010 Chinese census was 103,617, up from the 95,895 reported in the 2000 Chinese census. In 1999, the county's population was estimated to be 97,758. == Little West Paradise ==

The most famous cultural relic in Xi County is Xiaoxitian (小西天), also known as Little Western Paradise and Qianfo'an (千佛庵). It is a Chan Buddhist temple located atop Fenghuang Mountain in the west side of Xi County. The temple was founded by the Chan Master Dongming in 1629, during the Ming dynasty. It was originally named Qianfo'an due to the presence of a thousand Buddha statues in the Mahavira Hall. Later, the temple was renamed Xiaoxitian to distinguish it from another Ming dynasty temple, Daxitian (Great Western Heaven) located south of the city, and because the temple's plaque was inscribed with the words "Dao Ru Xitian" (道入西天; The Way Leads to the Western Heaven). Xiaoxitian covers an area of over 1,100 square meters and includes various structures such as the Mahavira Hall, Manjusri Hall, Samantabhadra Hall, Amitabha Hall, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Weituo Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, a bell tower, and a drum tower. The temple complex is divided into upper, middle, and front courtyards by a series of corridors, with two-thirds of its halls being double-story structures. The temple's suspended sculptures and colorful paintings are of significant scholarly interest for the study of Ming and Qing dynasty art. On March 5, 2013, Xiaoxitian was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council of China as part of the fourth batch of such sites. ==References==