Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King

Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King

The Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King is a shrine built in Sanwang Village, Changjia Town, Qingyun County. In 1450, Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty ordered its construction to commemorate Wang Zuo, a national hero who sacrificed his life defending the nation during the Tuba Incident. Modeled after the scale and design of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the temple is located east of present-day Qingyun City, west of Dehui River, at the front end of Zhongwang Village, and west of Zaoyuan Bridge, south of National Highway 205. It covers a total area of about 10 mu (approximately 0.67 hectares), with a width of 52 meters and a length of 120 meters. The structure is divided into three parts: the front courtyard, the main hall, and the rear courtyard. The construction project was grand in scale and exquisite in architectural style, considered extraordinary for its time.

The Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King faces south. Stepping onto the bluestone-paved path, the first thing that catches your eye is a golden plaque inscribed with the words “Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King,” hanging high on the grand mountain gate. On the front side of the gate stands a screen wall, 6 meters wide, 3.3 meters tall, and 0.5 meters thick. The striking imperial inscription “Civil officials dismount, military officials dismount” commands deep respect. On both sides of the gate stand two stone tablets: one inscribed with “Died for the Sovereign at Tumu,” also known as the Sighing Tablet; the other, weathered by wind and rain, has illegible text. Passing through the gate, you enter the front courtyard, where 16 evergreen pine and cypress trees are arranged in a square formation—four rows of four. These ancient trees, each 70 centimeters thick and 5 zhang (approximately 16.5 meters) tall, stand solemnly and majestically toward the sky. Walking eastward around the trees, you’ll find an eight-foot-tall two-story Kuixing Tower, small yet uniquely charming. Following the path northward for about 30 meters, you’ll reach the grand and imposing main hall. From a distance, the hall is approximately 12 meters long from east to west and 9 meters wide from north to south. Standing before the hall, you’ll see a yellow horizontal plaque with dragon motifs around the edges, hanging on the main southern gate, inscribed with “Posthumously Honored as Loyal and Incisive.” Entering the hall, two plaques—one blue with yellow characters, the other yellow with black characters—are immediately visible. One reads “Loyal Heart Like Scarlet Blood,” the other “Ancient Counsel Amidst Dusty Winds.” These two plaques, varying in size, placement, and color, are arranged in a dynamic composition. Two pairs of couplets hang on the sides, reading “Moonlight over West Bridge Illuminates Loyal Souls, North Han’s Fierce Wind Carries Noble Spirit.” Reading them aloud fills you with a surge of righteous energy, as if it rises from your feet to the top of your head, energizing your whole body. At the center of the hall sits the statue of Wang Zuo, clad in blood-red imperial robes, with sharp, determined eyes and an upright posture. The dragon patterns on his robe are faintly visible, and one corner of his garment remains unstained by blood, exposed to view. The statue of Wang Zuo is over two meters tall, flanked by two carved guards—one to the east holding a blood-sealed imperial edict, named Wang Zhong, and one to the west gripping a jade seal, named Wang Yi. The two guards stand solemnly at attention, embodying the loyalty and righteousness of ministers. Passing the ancestral statue, behind a partition screen, there is a couplet that reads “A Life of Upright Resolve, Scarlet Blood Stains the Yellow Robe.” Entering the rear courtyard, you’ll find it square-shaped, 20 meters in both length and width. On the east and west sides are several side rooms, four or five each, used by Tie Xiucai to receive guests by imperial decree. The western side room includes a kitchen, while the reception hall features a couplet that reads “The Enlightened Monarch Honors Ancestral Virtue, the Holy Reign Now Showers Grace Like Rain.” Visitors who came to pay tribute would dine in the hall, silently reciting the couplet while commemorating the martyrs.

However, it is deeply sorrowful and regrettable that the Temple of the Loyal and Gallant King was destroyed in 1966. All cultural relics and statues within the temple were lost, the site of the temple was completely buried underground, and very few people have had the chance to witness its full grandeur. Fortunately, the magnificent image of the temple has not vanished, and the heroic deeds of Wang Zuo have not faded with time. Instead, they live on in the hearts of later generations, growing ever more towering.

Changjia Town: Located in the eastern part of Qingyun County, Changjia Town borders Binzhou City. It governs 67 natural administrative villages, covering a total area of 93 square kilometers, with a population of 52,000 and arable land of 70,100 mu. Provincial Road 008 runs through the town, and the Majia River and Dehui River flow across the entire area. There are three 35-kilovolt substations in the town, with an annual power supply capacity of up to 9,000 kilowatt-hours. The agricultural production has initially achieved industrialized scale, with a jujube forest area of 9,000 mu, including more than ten varieties such as winter jujube, golden silk jujube types 1–4, Yuanling, and Wudi. The private economy is developing rapidly, featuring one district and one park covering an area of... More detailed information about Changjia Town++