Main Hall and Side Halls of the Zhenjun Temple on Wozhou Mountain

Main Hall and Side Halls of the Zhenjun Temple on Wozhou Mountain

The Main Hall and Side Halls of the Zhenjun Temple on Wozhou Mountain are protected as a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Unit.

The Zhenjun Temple on Wozhou Mountain is a Qing Dynasty religious structure that blends Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, primarily enshrining the Northern Song dynasty general Zong Ze. It is located in Xidong Village, Dashiju Town.

The exact date of the Zhenjun Temple on Wozhou Mountain’s construction is unknown. During the Ming Dynasty, it was called the Shrine of the Stone Immortal, which is already mentioned in the Chenghua County Annals of Xinchang. The Wanli County Annals of Xinchang recorded: “Located on Wozhou Mountain. The halls are majestic, and the deity is supremely revered. Worshippers holding incense and candles come in an endless stream, especially during the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, when attendance peaks, making it the finest in the region.” The temple underwent multiple renovations during the Qing Dynasty, with major repairs in the Yongzheng and Tongzhi eras, and was rebuilt during the Guangxu era. By the 1980s, only the Guangxu-era main hall remained, along with the Taishui (God of Years) Hall from the Yongzheng period and the Guanyin Hall from the Tongzhi period. Starting in 1991, the cultural relics department oversaw restoration work to return the structures to their original appearance, rebuilding the mountain gate and rear hall, preserving the old style while repairing. The site now covers an area of 6,800 square meters.

The main hall faces south and has three bays, with a total width of 14.75 meters and a depth of 13.54 meters. The central bay features a five-rafter lifted-beam structure, with a coffered front porch and extended eave purlins supported by bracket sets. The rear bay has a single step with nine purlins and four columns. The side bays use a through-tenon system with nine purlins and six columns. The roof is a single-eave gable and hip style, and fireproof walls are installed. Both wooden and stone pillars are used, with cloud-patterned stone column bases and inverted-basin-shaped pedestals. Between the upper and lower gold purlins, hanging columns in the shape of flower baskets are used. The central bay’s eave columns are round, carved stone pillars featuring dragons coiled around them, with phoenixes below. The carvings have three layers of depth, with dragons’ mouths holding rolling beads, exquisitely crafted. Atop the columns stand pointed-mouthed thunder gods and mirror-holding lightning goddesses; the pillar bodies feature dragons and phoenixes interspersed with vivid carvings of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, wind and rain deities, and aquatic creatures like fish and shrimp. The gilded wood carvings, mainly using openwork and relief techniques, are decoratively integrated into the coffered ceiling, beams, brackets, lintels, column tops, and bracket sets. Themes include battle scenes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Biography of Yue Fei, as well as decorative motifs like “Nine Lions Holding a Silken Ball,” “Phoenix and Peony,” and “Squirrels Dragging Grapes,” all lifelike. The side walls feature brick carvings depicting characters and stories from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin, as well as floral patterns, all classical and elegant. The beams, lintels, eaves, and corridor walls also showcase intricate carvings of themes such as Investiture of the Gods, Cao Cao Being Berated While Beating the Drum, and The Three Battles with Lü Bu, all masterfully done. On the left and right sides in front of the hall stand two brick-built, pagoda-style incense-burning stoves. To the east is the Guangxu-era Guanyin Hall, and to the west is the Yongzheng-era Sixty Jiazi Hall. In 2001, a Qing-style opera stage was restored to its original design, and the central hall was rebuilt.

The main hall enshrines the Zhenjun Emperor, a deified figure based on Zong Ze. Zong Ze (1060–1128) was a famous Song dynasty general who fought against the Jurchen Jin. His courtesy name was Rulin, and he was from Yiwu, Wuzhou (modern-day Jinhua, Zhejiang). He achieved the jinshi degree in the Yuanyou era. Serving in various regional posts, he earned a reputation for effective governance. Highly respected in the north, he allied with the “Crusaders,” promoted Yue Fei to general, and repeatedly defeated Jin forces. Oppressed by the imperial court, Zong Ze grew frustrated and fell ill. Before his death from an abscess on his back, he repeatedly cried out, “Cross the river!” even as he passed, never forgetting his goal of reclaiming the northern territories. Zong Ze’s noble spirit remains deeply admired. His collected works, the Zhongjian Ji, have been passed down through history.

The main structures of the Zhenjun Temple on Wozhou Mountain are laid out completely, with the main hall and side halls representing the pinnacle of ancient architectural styles from Xinchang. The wood carvings, brick carvings, stone carvings, colored paintings, and murals are all exquisitely crafted. In 2011, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units