Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Original Temple)

Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Original Temple)

The Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Original Temple) is a cultural tourism attraction.

In 190 BC, Liu Ying (Emperor Hui of Han), the son of Liu Bang, paid tribute to the virtues and achievements of Emperor Gaozu. He issued an edict across the empire to build a temple in honor of Gaozu. Five years later, due to the presence of the Willow Shrine in his hometown of Pei County, he decreed the construction of the “Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han” next to the Sishui Pavilion in Pei County.

In 195 BC, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang passed away. His eldest legitimate son, Liu Ying, ascended the throne as Emperor Xiaohui. Emperor Xiaohui and his ministers believed that the late emperor came from humble origins, yet he restored order, unified the realm, and was the greatest founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, deserving the highest honor. They posthumously bestowed upon him the title “Gao Emperor.” To commemorate Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang’s great achievements for generations to come, Emperor Hui decreed that temples to Emperor Gaozu be established in all commanderies, states, and feudal domains, with seasonal sacrifices held in his honor. By the fifth year of Emperor Hui’s reign (190 BC), he ordered the transformation of the Sishui Pavilion and the Palace of Pei into the Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu. The 120 young men whom Emperor Gaozu had taught to sing “The Song of the Great Wind” in Pei were appointed as the ceremonial music band, and any vacancies among them were promptly filled.

Development and Current Status

Historical records indicate that successive dynasties held the Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han in Pei County in high esteem, conducting worship ceremonies and carrying out renovations. Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty (Liu Xiu) and Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (in 459 AD) both visited to offer sacrifices. In May of the seventh year of the Tianbao era (748 AD) during the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong decreed that a temple be established in each place where an imperial dynasty was founded, and the Temple of Emperor Gaozu in Pei County included Zhang Liang and Xiao He as accompanying deities.

Many renowned literary figures throughout history have left written works related to the Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han in Pei County. Liu Zongyuan of the Tang Dynasty wrote the “Inscription on the Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu,” a text of over a thousand characters praising the glorious accomplishments of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang in founding the Han Dynasty.

The Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu is a two-courtyard palace structure. The front courtyard houses the Temple of Emperor Gaozu, while the rear section contains the sleeping palace for seasonal worship. It was destroyed and lost to time after the Song Dynasty. The temple was rebuilt on a new site in 1996. The current temple gate plaque was inscribed by the contemporary master calligrapher Zhao Puchu, while the main hall, named “Leyi Hall,” was inscribed by Wang Bingshi, chairman of the Xuzhou Calligraphers Association. The main hall features a large gilded statue of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, with portraits of the 24 emperors of the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties displayed on either side. The courtyard is shaded by green pines and cypresses, and a newly erected stele bears the “Inscription on the Original Temple of Emperor Gaozu of Han,” composed by the great Tang Dynasty literary figure Liu Zongyuan.