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14.

the ruins of the temple. As soon as we were outside of the city gate, the exposed images came to our sight. The ruin covers quite a large piece of land. Built originally in the Ch'i period, the temple had suffered many changes. The final destruction was completed by an earthquake (Fig. 32). Broken stelae are still found here and there; it is quite probable that there is a richer content of archaeological value underneath.]
[In the afternoon of the same day, we went to explore the mountainous region in the east, where [[strikethrough]] there [[/strikethrough]] is a great deal of Buddhistradition. We started rather late and the distance is far.;so we passed thru all the loess cliffs in darkness and found a stopping place only in midnight. Next morning we visited the so-called Stone-Buddha Temple. The statue was carved out of sandstone, and is now coated with a layer of mud and gilded. It measures about ten feet in height; there is no record regarding the date of its work. After this visit, I walked thru the loess area in the hope of finding some more prehistorical sight. Nothing however came out of this search. We returned to the city in the evening.]
[South of I-ch'eng-hsien, the road becomes more even. We were gradually on the plain.] [[new paragraph symbol]] It was a whole day's journey from I-ch'eng to Chü-wo which, in turn, [[strikethrough]] Chü-wo [[/strikethrough]] is about 60 li east of Chiang-chou, - [[strikethrough]] which is [[/strikethrough]] one of the most important cities in southern Shansi and a [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] center for [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] curio-dealers. At this city, the Fêng River turns westward (Fig. 34). While we were in Chü-wo, we decided to pay a visit to Chiang-chou to have a look of the various curio shops in that city.This, I thought, might perhaps serve to help us [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] in forming a notion as to the kinds of antiquities which [[strikethrough]] that [[/strikethrough]] are unearthed in this region. But this idea proved to be a delusion. [[strikethrough]] quite an illusion. [[/strikethrough]] All the curio-dealers have a common secret: if one [[strikethrough]] should [[/strikethrough]] inquire about the exact location of the place whence the things they exhibit come, [[strikethrough]] from [[/strikethrough]], the unanimous and [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] invariable answer is that they do not know. In vain, [[strikethrough]] if [[/strikethrough]] one may [[strikethrough]] should [[/strikethrough]] tell then that the curios would enhance in value if [[strikethrough]] when [[/strikethrough]] their sources were [[strikethrough]] whereabouts is [[/strikethrough]] known. [Most things sold in