China Focus: Ancient temple draws visitors as cultural tourism booms in Shanxi-Xinhua
TAIYUAN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- For years, Yang Liangen saw strangers as a threat. After a series of break-in attempts at a 900-year-old temple in north China's Shanxi Province, Yang moved into the compound in 1997, sleeping behind its gates and guarding its rare sculptures and wooden structures. Nearly three decades later, he eagerly waits for strangers to arrive. "We used to be afraid when people came," Yang said. "Now we hope they will come." Located in Xiaonan Village in Jincheng City, Erxian Temple fully opened to the public in 2024 as interest in Shanxi's ancient architecture surged following the release of "Black Myth: Wukong," a blockbuster Chinese video game. During China's National Day holiday that year, Yang counted 1,280 visitors in a single day -- a record for a site whose...
