Hangzhou Dazifu Temple

Hangzhou Dazifu Temple

Hangzhou Dazifu Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Hangzhou City.

According to a local legend in Hangzhou, after Yue Fei’s beloved general Zhang Xian was executed, his body was dismembered into 72 pieces by Qin Hui and scattered across 72 different locations in Hangzhou. Moved by the deeds of the Yue Family Army and Zhang Xian, the local people voluntarily raised funds to build 72 temples at these sites. Since they could not openly commemorate Zhang Xian, they called these temples Zifu Temples, giving rise to a wave where “people from villages far and wide worshipped Zhang Xian, praying for blessings and safety.” In the past, Zifu Temples were located at areas such as Zhong’an Bridge, Zumiao Lane, and Dongshan Lane, but today, the only remaining Zifu Temple in Hangzhou is this one at the southern foot of Jade Emperor Mountain.

In 2010, against the backdrop of the comprehensive conservation project for the Southern Song Imperial City ruins, Dazifu Temple underwent a complete renovation. The current Dazifu Temple was designed by the Landscape Architecture Design and Research Institute of China Academy of Art. Built upon the original structure, it now includes east and west wing rooms, two corridors, and a courtyard. The restored Dazifu Temple has a total floor area of over 1,000 m², with the main hall covering 360 m² and the rest spanning nearly 690 m². The renovated sections retain as much of the original architectural style as possible, enhanced with floor-length doors and lattice windows that highlight the folk culture and elements of the Southern Song Dynasty. The crossbeams, brackets, and spandrels of the corridors have been exquisitely carved by master artisans, making them highly ornamental.

Upon entering the front hall of Dazifu Temple, the first thing you see are the four large characters meaning “Righteousness That Lasts a Thousand Autumns.” On both sides are six panels depicting historical and cultural contexts of the hero’s time: “The Jingkang Incident,” “The Founding of the Southern Song,” “The Victory at Zhuxian,” “The Stormy Prison,” “The Redress of Wrongs,” and “Thoughts Across Generations.”

Inside the main hall, there is a gilded wooden statue of the martyred Marquis Zhang Xian clad in battle armor. The 3.8-meter-tall, one-ton statue was meticulously crafted by Ye Mengchun, a master of provincial arts and crafts. On both sides are illustrations titled “Zhang Xian’s Military Campaigns,” painted by Song Dynasty history expert Fu Boxing, depicting several major battles from Zhang Xian’s life and chronicling the hero’s great achievements.

The east wing room’s “Yue Family Army Commanders Illustration” displays scenes of Zhang Xian fighting alongside the Yue Family Army. It also exhibits armor, robes, and boots worn by Southern Song soldiers during battle. A lifelike diorama of a battlefield scene brings to mind the thunder of hooves and the clamor of combat. The west wing room primarily showcases the local customs and culture of Langzhong City, Sichuan Province—Zhang Xian’s hometown—as well as the local people’s remembrance of the hero. At the center of the west wing room is enshrined the God of Blessings, along with a hundred-scene painting originally written by Sun Jing of the Ming Dynasty and now newly engraved.

Protected area: East and west to the enclosing walls of Dazifu Temple courtyard, south extending approximately 5 meters beyond the ancient well within the courtyard, north extending approximately 3 meters beyond the enclosing walls of Dazifu Temple courtyard, with a total area of 1,413 square meters.

Construction control zone: East extending approximately 40 meters beyond the protected area (to the building exterior line), south extending approximately 30 meters beyond the protected area (to the small park wall), west extending approximately 45 meters beyond the protected area (to the building exterior line and Fuxing Urban Homes wall), north to the mountain ridge, with a total area of -9 square meters.