Qizhen Temple

Qizhen Temple

Qizhen Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shandong Province.

Qizhen Temple is located in the southwest corner of Anping Village, 7.5 kilometers south of Lucun Town, Yiyuan County. In 2013, it was designated as part of the fourth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People's Government of Shandong Province.

Originally named Shangzhen Palace, the temple consists of three parallel courtyards connected by corner gates. The central main gate is equipped with a gatehouse featuring a red-painted door, alongside a side door used for daily access. The two main side gates are designed as moon gates. The entire architectural layout is well-planned and staggered, with major structures boasting high ridges, flying eaves, carved beams, painted rafters, and resplendent decorations.

East Courtyard: Houses a bell tower, a drum tower, east and west corridor rooms, the Kuixing Pavilion, and the Jade Emperor Hall. Deities worshipped here include the Jade Emperor, the Three Pure Ones, the Three Officials, Zhenwu, the Five Patriarchs, and the Seven True Ones.

Middle Courtyard: Contains the Lingguan Temple, the Goddess (Nainai) Hall, and the Queen Mother’s Palace. It enshrines the Goddess Bixia Yuanjun and the Queen Mother, along with subsidiary figures such as the Goddess of Vision, the Goddess of Hearing, the Birth-Giving Goddess, the Birth-Leading Brother, the Birth-Urging Sister, and the Silkworm Goddesses Peach Sister and others.

West Courtyard: Includes shrines to the Dragon King, the Medicine King, the Mountain God, the Eight Deities, the Supreme Justice God, the Fire God, and the Earth God. The rear courtyard houses quiet rooms, alchemy chambers, storage rooms, and kitchens used by the Taoist monks.

According to inscriptions in the temple: “In the 18th year of the Zhiyuan era (1281 AD), Master Mingzhen Wufuzi Liu Zhengdao and Master Baoyuan Dong Daochang came from Changchun Temple in Zouping County to establish the temple here.” After twelve renovations between the 25th year of Zhiyuan and the 25th year of the Republic of China, the temple reached a considerable scale. At its peak, it housed over 40 Taoist monks, owned more than 120 acres of temple land, and became a renowned Taoist site across the region.

Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, a temple fair is held. The temple gates are thrown open to welcome pilgrims from all directions. Merchants and vendors also gather in large numbers, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.

Qizhen Temple Today

The east courtyard of Qizhen Temple still stands, though now in ruins with broken walls; the middle courtyard has been repurposed as a school and village office; the west courtyard has been turned into farmland. A few historical stone tablets remain, embedded in the walls on both sides of the school entrance. The thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in the east courtyard, with its twisted roots and enduring presence, remains vigorous despite its age. Two verdant cypress trees in front of the Goddess Hall in the middle courtyard stand like graceful sisters, lush and elegant, silently conveying memories of Qizhen Temple’s former glory.

Anping Village: Anping Village... More details about Anping Village++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units