Puen Temple

Puen Temple

Puen Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Puen Temple, located in En Village Third Street, Xincheng Subdistrict, Shanyang District, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, was first built during the Zhenguan era (627–649) of the Tang Dynasty.

Puen Temple is situated in En Village, a town in Jiaozuo City with a history of 5,000 years that has been bestowed with an imperial name three times. Legend has it that Gun, the father of Yu the Great, once established a base here to manage the Yellow River. Emperor Yao, in recognition of his flood control efforts, named the place Gun Town. After Yu the Great successfully managed the floods and established hereditary rule, he honored his father’s contributions to the people and, to avoid using his father’s name, elevated the town to a prefecture and renamed it Enzhou. When King Wu of Zhou marched against King Zhou of Shang, the local people welcomed his army with food and drink. After King Wu ascended the throne, in gratitude for the people's support, he renamed the town Cheng’en Town. After the liberation, Cheng’en Town was renamed En Village Commune, and the village was divided into three parts: En Village First Street, En Village Second Street, and En Village Third Street. En Village has a long history and numerous historical sites, especially a cluster of temples — it is said to have “18 temples of En Village” — and was a sacred site where ancient people worshipped Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Puen Temple is one of the 18 temples.

The current Puen Temple was formerly En Village Third Street School five years ago. After the school moved out, it became a temple. In fact, En Village Third Street School was built on the original site of Puen Temple, so the present-day temple has essentially returned to its former location. According to elderly villagers, when they were young, Puen Temple was a large complex with majestic gates, bell and drum towers, multiple courtyards, interconnected halls, and bustling incense offerings. They often played there, but unfortunately, it was demolished before and during the Cultural Revolution to make way for the school.

Puen Temple covers an area of about five to six acres. The existing buildings from the former school are sufficient for a rural temple, and the temple has repurposed several original classrooms as worship halls. As a result, the layout of Puen Temple, when viewed from a plan perspective, does not follow the typical arrangement of most temples.

Several stone steles, stone carvings, and architectural remnants from the Ming and Qing dynasties still exist within Puen Temple, holding certain cultural and historical value.

Xincheng Subdistrict: Xincheng Subdistrict of Shanyang District was established through the complete transformation of the former En Village Township. It is located in the southeastern part of Jiaozuo’s urban center, in the key area of the city’s southward and eastward expansion. Covering a total area of 25 square kilometers, it governs 3 communities and 9 administrative villages. The Shanyang Han City Ruins, known for their historical significance in Jiaozuo, are situated in the eastern part of the subdistrict, while the province’s largest artificial lake — Longyuan Lake — is located in the western part.

With the accelerated pace of the city’s southward and eastward expansion, the locational advantages of Xincheng Subdistrict are becoming increasingly prominent. Construction Road, Jiefang Road, Tanan Road, Shanyang Road, Jiaodong Road, Zhongyuan Road, Fengshou Road, Renmin Avenue, and other urban... Detailed information about Xincheng Subdistrict++