In late 2022, an upgrade of Erxian Temple's security system was launched. Around the same time, local heritage enthusiasts formed a volunteer association in Jincheng City to support heritage site caretakers, organize educational visits and train volunteer guides.

　　In August 2024, Jincheng began opening 18 nationally and provincially protected heritage sites to the public on Sundays on a trial basis before fully opening them in October. Erxian Temple was included.

　　"The temple didn't become popular overnight," said Zhang Jianjun, one of the association's founders. "Without all those years of preparation, we wouldn't have been ready when the crowds came."

　　The association now has more than 400 members, including Zhang Jie, a local charter driver who first visited Erxian Temple while taking customers around Shanxi in 2024. Standing among centuries-old sculptures and elaborate woodwork, he realized how little he knew about the heritage of his own home province.

　　"I felt ashamed, but also curious," he said. He began studying traditional architecture, joined the volunteer association and now shares what he has learned with tourists.

　　At the Hanging Temple in Datong City, Chen Ruiyan recalled a recent road trip she and her husband had taken from Guangdong Province to Shanxi, visiting more than a dozen historic sites across the province. Inspired by films and animations featuring Shanxi's ancient architecture, they had studied traditional architectural features before setting out.

　　"Beyond their aesthetic impact, ancient wooden buildings have a sense of quietness and vitality," Chen said.