Temple of Prince Yi (Yi Xian Wang Ci), Baijiatuan

Temple of Prince Yi (Yi Xian Wang Ci), Baijiatuan

The Temple of Prince Yi in Baijiatuan is a cultural tourism attraction.

Baijiatuan Village is one of the earliest settlements in the Hot Spring area to appear in historical records. Traveling from the capital over Hongshan Pass to reach the Hot Springs, Nankou, Beianhe, and Miaofeng Mountain, Baijiatuan was an essential stop along the way. The village stretches east-west along the northern foothills of Sanzhu Xiang, Huangdao Ling, and Bantian Yun Ling, forming a long and narrow settlement. A three-li-long (approximately 1.5 km) main street runs through the center of the village, lined with shops and stores on both sides, bustling with constant pedestrian traffic, making it a local hub for transportation and commerce.

Legend has it that Baijiatuan was originally called Baizhi Tan (White Paper Beach). Many years ago, there was an artisan in the village named Zhang Zhong who made a living by paper-cutting, generation after generation. His craftsmanship was exquisite and well-known far and wide, hence the village came to be called Baizhi Tun, which over time evolved into Baijiatuan. Another story says that early residents here made a living crafting armor, displaying the finished products for people to admire and choose from, hence the name Baijia Tun (Armor Displaying Beach).

As for when it was changed to its current name, there is no definitive historical evidence. However, the name Baijiatuan can already be found in Ming Dynasty documents.

On the south side of the western section of Baijiatuan Village’s three-li-long main street lies a large open square. At the northern end of the square stands a large stage facing south, while at the southern end of the square is a historic imperial structure—this is the rare Royal Ancestral Temple in the suburbs of Beijing—the Temple of Prince Yi. The temple enshrines Yinzhi, the thirteenth son of Emperor Kangxi (Xuan Ye) of the Qing Dynasty. The Temple of Prince Yi faces north and consists of a mountain gate, front hall, main hall, and stage. The mountain gate is one bay wide and one bay deep, with a hip-and-gable roof and a raised ridge, decorated with ornamental ridge beasts, gray tubular tiles, hanging beasts, and five small beasts. It features a brick-and-stone imitation wooden structure, with the archway lintel inscribed with the characters “贤王祠” (Temple of Noble Prince). There were originally two small side gates on either side, also with single-eave hip-and-gable roofs and gray tubular tiles. In 1993, the government carried out protective restoration of the mountain gate but did not restore the side gates. The front hall is three bays wide and one bay deep, constructed in a grand style with a single-layer hip-and-gable roof and gray tubular tiles. It has rectangular, six-panel doors and windows, adorned with spinor painted designs. The east and west side halls each have three bays, also built in a grand style with a single-layer hip-and-gable roof, featuring hanging beasts, five small beasts, and row-and-drop drainage. Due to severe water leakage and risk of collapse, they were demolished in June 1982. The main hall is three bays wide and two bays deep, with a gray tubular ridge, hip-and-gable roof with a raised ridge, ridge beasts, and row-and-drop drainage. It features a front projecting pavilion with a three-bay suspended gable and rolling shed roof, adorned with spinor painted designs. The columns are round in shape with ancient mirror bases. In front of the pavilion is a terrace. The east and west wing rooms each have one bay, built in a grand style with a single-layer hip-and-gable roof and gray tubular tiles. Due to years of disrepair, the buildings had sunk and developed cracks in the walls. Fearing potential collapse that could harm students, the structures were wrapped in wire mesh. With government funding, a complete dismantling and major repair of the main hall was carried out in 2001. Along the central axis of the Temple of Noble Prince are a furnace base and stone stelae positioned to the left and right. On the northwestern side of the front hall stands a stone stele, but now all three stelae have been moved to the western wall of the Temple of Noble Prince. Among them is the “Imperially Bestowed Stele Record of the Sacrificial Fields of the Temple of Noble Prince in Baijiatuan,” featuring a dragon-headed top and square base, currently standing on the western wall of Baijiatuan Primary School. Another is a damaged stele without a top or base, recording the number of bannermen in Baijiatuan, Taizhouwu, Yangjiazhuang, Shiwo Village, Buzitou Village, Tundian, Liangjiadian, and Yangfang Village. There is also one stele lying on the ground.

Yinzhi was commonly known as “Thirteenth Prince.” Born in October 1686 (the 25th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign) and passing away in 1730 (the 8th year of Emperor Yongzheng’s reign) at the age of 45. Yinzhi’s birth mother, Lady Zhangjia, was deeply favored by Emperor Kangxi, who also held Yinzhi in high regard. At the age of 13, Yinzhi left the capital for the first time to accompany his father in paying respects at the ancestral tombs. Afterward, Emperor Kangxi frequently took him on tours around the empire. Of Kangxi’s six southern inspection tours, Yinzhi accompanied him on the most. This clearly shows that during his youth, Yinzhi was deeply beloved by his father the emperor. Yinzhi, who remained loyal and supportive of Emperor Yongzheng throughout his life, demonstrated exceptional capability in implementing new policies, recommending virtuous and capable individuals, and strictly maintaining family discipline. He played a pivotal role in consolidating the regime in the early years of Yongzheng’s reign, a portrayal well depicted in the TV series “Yongzheng Dynasty.”

In the early years of Yongzheng’s reign, Yinzhi was ordered to develop water conservancy projects in the Baijiatuan area of western Beijing to eliminate flooding. Later, he “often traveled here on hunting expeditions.” Yinzhi grew fond of the local customs and beautiful natural scenery, so he decided to build a private villa here as a retreat. Unfortunately, Yinzhi passed away prematurely due to illness before the construction was completed. After his death, villagers such as Zhang Ming from Baijiatuan, moved by Yinzhi’s benevolence, applied to build a temple in his memory. Emperor Yongzheng granted funds to convert Yinzhi’s villa into a memorial temple, which was completed in June 1723 (the 10th year of Yongzheng’s reign) and named the Temple of Noble Prince. In the 19th year of Qianlong’s reign (1754)...

...four similar Noble Prince temples in other regions were ordered to be converted into Guan Yu temples, but the one in Baijiatuan, Beijing, is the only one that has been preserved. In the early years after liberation, Xiangshan Jingyi Youxue (a school) was temporarily relocated here before being turned into Baijiatuan Primary School.

Opposite the Temple of Noble Prince is a large stage. The stage is three meters high, facing south with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and row-and-drop drainage. It is three bays wide and two bays deep, featuring an interlocking roof design with a ridged ridge end, gray tubular tiles, square-shaped columns, and spinor painted decorations. The stage stands opposite the mountain gate in a protruding layout. The flanking rooms are three bays wide, with a front-projecting veranda serving as a performance platform. It once served as a venue for villagers’ entertainment, with theatrical performances held here annually. In the 1960s, scenes from the film “Red Flag Pledge,” including Zhu Dagui selling birds, were filmed here. Traditional costume dramas were performed on the stage, while the square in front was set up like an old-fashioned market, bustling with a variety of rural daily goods and snacks. The southern end borrowed the scenery of the Temple of Noble Prince’s mountain gate to create a lively bird market, with people coming and going to buy and sell birds. Soldiers from the warlord era wandered the streets. On that day, tens of thousands of people from surrounding areas came to watch the festivities.

In 1985, the Temple of Noble Prince in Baijiatuan was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site by the Beijing Municipal Government. The stage was renovated in 2004 with funding from the district government and repainted.

Baijiatuan Village is surrounded by mountains and water. To the south of the village are expansive orchards growing cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes, and apples. The formerly terraced slopes have now been replaced with rows of villa communities. To the north, the Beijing-Miyun Water Diversion Canal flows gently from west to east. Areas that were once used for large-scale rice and vegetable cultivation are now undergoing new rural development projects according to updated planning.

Baijiatuan Village: Baijiatuan Village

Located in the central area of Wenquan Town, it borders Sijiqing Xiangshan to the south, Yiwen Road to the north, Wenquan Village to the west, and Yangjiazhuang to the east. The jurisdiction covers an area of 8.9 square kilometers, with a registered population of 3,000 people, including 1,350 agricultural residents and 1,650 non-agricultural residents. There are 10,000 migrant residents. The village has 146 Party members, including 108 male, 38 female, and 80 retired members.

The village’s featured tourist attractions include the Cao Xueqin Trail and the Temple of Prince Yi; public... Baijiatuan Village detailed information++