Yuansheng Palace

Yuansheng Palace

Yuansheng Palace is a cultural relic protection unit of Beijing.

Originally known as Zhenwu Temple, Yuansheng Palace is located at the foot of Niulanshan Mountain, twenty li north of Shunyi County and about 10 kilometers from the city center. It is an ancient temple that has been well preserved to this day. With a long history and grand scale, the exact time of its initial construction remains unknown, but inscriptions on stone tablets record that it was renovated during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty.

The palace faces south and originally had a wooden memorial archway in front. Behind the archway stood a pair of stone lions, which are believed to date back to the Ming Dynasty. Further inside are the ceremonial gate, front hall, rear hall, main hall, and east and west side halls, totaling more than 40 rooms. The buildings feature various types of painted designs, including spiral, Suzhou-style, and imperial seal patterns. Two ancient cypresses beneath the terrace of the front hall are tall and robust, reaching toward the sky. The five-room rear hall is particularly magnificent, with yellow and green glazed tile borders, golden dragon imperial seal paintings, and a lofty terrace. Each of the east and west side halls has five rooms. The courtyard is shaded by tall pines and cypresses, and the pathways are paved with colorful pebble mosaics, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere.

According to the Republican-era Shunyi County Annals, in the 17th year of the Kangxi reign (1678), Prince Guo Yi, Yunli, visited the site and bestowed a plaque inscribed with the words “Golden Light and Precious Appearance.” He also wrote a five-character Tang poem: “Entering the ancient temple at dawn, the morning sun shines on the high woods…” and presented a couplet to the monks: “A lone cloud over a fragment of stone peers into the true form; the bright moon over the clear pool reflects the Zen mind.”

In the 55th year of the Kangxi reign (1716), Huang Chengzhang, the magistrate of Shunyi County, changed the name from Zhenwu Temple to Yuansheng Palace because the original name referenced Zhenwu (a deity), and the presence of a Jade Emperor statue in the rear hall was seen as potentially disrespectful to imperial titles. Today, Yuansheng Palace is situated within the campus of Niulanshan No. 1 High School, a key secondary school in Beijing, and has been designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Shunyi District.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Beijing