Neiqiu Ox King Temple

Neiqiu Ox King Temple

The Neiqiu Ox King Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Ox King Temple is situated on an earthen mound south of Wangjiaotai Village, 13 kilometers west of Neiqiu County. The current structure dates back to the Qing Dynasty. In the main hall, three deities—Ox King, Wudao, and Earth God (commonly referred to as the Three Saints by locals)—are enshrined in the center. The Ox King is in the middle, Wudao on the left, and Earth God on the right. Below the Three Saints are two assistants of the Ox King deity: on the left is Zhao, a dedicated veterinarian specializing in treating livestock diseases such as cattle and horses, and on the right is Xiao Zhang, a shepherd boy responsible for herding and training oxen. According to local residents, the Ox King was originally a Taoist priest who chose this auspicious land for his long-term spiritual practice. He had a special fondness for livestock, especially cattle and horses, and often treated their illnesses, earning great respect from the community. After his death, he was revered as the Ox King, and a temple was built here in his honor.

To the front right of the Ox King Temple stands an ancient opera stage, which was used for performances during temple fairs to express gratitude to the Ox King. According to elderly residents of Wangjiaotai Village, there used to be a small three-room shrine opposite the stage, housing the “Traveling Ox King.” This opera stage is considered a local treasure. A popular folk rhyme says: “From Nanjing to Beijing, only this stage has a hanging awning.” Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the stage and the awning are tightly connected to form the complete opera structure. If walls were added around the awning, it would resemble a modern theater. It can be seen as a precursor to contemporary performance venues. The entire structure is made of brick and wood, consisting mainly of the stage and the awning. The stage itself is divided into the front stage, backstage, and a passageway beneath. The backstage is enclosed on three sides, with a round hole in the center of the back wall for ventilation, lighting, and air circulation. Two pillars in the middle of the stage allow curtains to be drawn, separating the front and backstage areas. The front stage is open on three sides, about three times the size of the backstage, and is shaped like a convex character. The stage opening features four white marble pillars arranged in a row, with the middle two spaced farther apart to serve as the main performance area. Beneath the stage runs a north-south arched passageway constructed from blue stone and gray bricks. The southern end has a doorway for access, while the northern end has an opening at ground level, usually covered by stone slabs but opened during the rainy season to drain water. This passageway not only serves as a drainage tunnel but also functions to enhance sound on stage, muffle noise below, and provide ventilation and cooling—essentially acting as both a speaker and an air conditioner. The preservation of the Ox King Temple and its stage today is largely due to this passageway. Since the temple and stage are built on an earthen mound, if water drained from all sides, centuries of erosion would have eroded the mound away. The key lies in the fact that the mound has only one drainage outlet: this passageway.

The exact founding date of the Ox King Temple is unknown. According to the genealogy of the Wang family in Wangjiaotai Village, in the 11th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1672), the Wang family migrated from Luoping County (now Xiyang County) in Shanxi Province to Jiaotai Village in Neiqiu County, Zhili Province. By the third generation, Wang Bingyin had built prosperity through diligence and thrift. The fourth-generation Wang Tiande, serving as the head of the temple association, oversaw renovations to the Ox King Temple. From this, it is inferred that the temple already existed during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Existing inscriptions record that the temple and its stage were renovated during the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty, as well as in the 5th and 22nd years of the Republic of China, indicating that the temple enjoyed considerable popularity in its time.

Scenic Area Address: Wangjiaotai Village, Liulin Town, Neiqiu County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province

Transportation: Take a bus headed to Liulin Town within Neiqiu County and get off at Wangjiaotai.