Shuijingtai at the Jinci Temple is an architectural landmark in Shanxi province. [Photo by Bai Shuhao/China Daily]

The moment German illustrator and new media artist Anja Nolte stepped into the Jinci Temple in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, she immediately recognized the centuries-old Shuijingtai, or Water Mirror Stage.

It is, she recalls, the very stage that inspired one of the most memorable scenes in the 1960s Chinese animated classic Havoc in Heaven, in which the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, showcases his legendary 72 transformations.

"I worked as an animator in Germany for a period of time, and I watched a number of Chinese animated films then," Nolte says.

"So I knew this place."

The Water Mirror Stage has become one of Shanxi's most iconic architectural landmarks. Built more than 400 years ago, it has appeared repeatedly in Chinese popular culture, from the beloved 1986 television adaptation of Journey to the West to the video game Black Myth: Wukong and the recent animated feature Nobody.

German artist Anja Nolte shows her sketch of the site. [Photo by Bai Shuhao/China Daily]

With two round black windows that look like eyes and a central doorway like an open mouth, the stage has become a beloved image for generations of audiences.

Nolte was among a group of international and Chinese artists participating in "Discovering Shanxi's Ancient Chinese Architecture: A Visual Journey through Cultural Heritage", a cultural exchange program that encouraged new artistic creation through visits to some of the province's best-preserved historical sites.

The itinerary included landmarks such as the Jinci Temple, the Hanging Temple and the Pagoda of Fogong Temple, with Jinci serving as the program's first stop.

Standing before the stage, Nolte filled pages of her sketchbook with drawings of the building and the stone lions guarding its entrance.

For Veldesen Yaputra, an Indonesian student at Tsinghua University's School of Architecture, what impressed him most about Jinci was not its age but its atmosphere.

Intricate wooden structures are well preserved at the Jinci Temple. [Photo by Bai Shuhao/China Daily]

"The first thing I felt wasn't that it was ancient – it was that it was comfortable," he says.

The sound of running water, sunlight filtering beneath the eaves and the carefully proportioned courtyards created a profound sense of calm, he says.

As he wandered through the temple complex, he came to appreciate how traditional Shanxi timber architecture works in harmony with its surroundings, providing shelter from rain and wind while creating generous shade.

"Chinese architecture doesn't seek to conquer nature," Yaputra says.

"It seeks to live in harmony with it."

Colombian artist Rodrigo Escobar-Vanegas, who has lived in China for nearly two decades, says he was particularly impressed by the survival of the wooden structures and their intricate exposed beams.

"I'm very happy to see that these ancient Chinese buildings have been so well preserved," he says.

The artist adds that Colombia is also home to remarkable ancient civilizations.

Unlike Jinci, however, many of the country's archaeological sites have only been brought to light through excavation rather than preserved intact over the centuries, he says.

Following their visit to Taiyuan, the participating artists continued their journey in Jinzhong, Xinzhou, Shuozhou and Datong, where they explored more of Shanxi's rich architectural heritage.

The six-day cultural exchange program concluded on Monday.