[2] Under the Northern Wei, the northern portion of present-day Xi County was organized as part of Tujing Commandery [zh], and the southern portion was part of Pingchang County (simplified Chinese: 平昌县; traditional Chinese: 平昌縣; pinyin: Píngchāng Xiàn).

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, Xixian Xiaoxitian was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, as part of the fourth batch of such sites.

The temple is currently open to the public, with visiting hours from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM daily, and an admission fee of 25 RMB per person.