Main Hall of Hongshan Temple

Main Hall of Hongshan Temple

The Main Hall of Hongshan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

Hongshan Temple is located in Houdou Village, Zhile Township, Yanling County, Xuchang City. It is a relatively well-preserved remnant of the Ming Dynasty Hongshan Temple, with a history of over 500 years. The main hall of Hongshan Temple faces south and measures 9.30 meters in length from east to west and 7.15 meters in width from north to south.

The temple enshrines Hongshan Zhenren, a divine physician of the Central Plains during the Song Dynasty, hence the name Hongshan Temple. Hongshan Zhenren’s original surname was Gu, and he was originally from Hebei. Born in the late Song Dynasty, he once passed the imperial examination to become a scholar-official. However, disgusted by the chaos of the times, the turmoil of the world, and the corruption of officialdom, he chose to leave secular life and live in seclusion in Hongshan, Dawei Town, Mishi County. During this time, seeing that local livestock often suffered from epidemics and died in large numbers, he devoted himself to medicine. At first, he treated animals, and his reputation as a veterinarian grew. Eventually, the poor and sick in the area also sought his medical help, and he became a skilled physician with an increasing number of patients coming from far and wide.

Zhenren’s medical fame spread far and wide. He was once summoned by imperial decree to treat the Empress Dowager of the Song Dynasty and achieved the effect of bringing the dead back to life. Later, he was also called to treat the soldiers and horses of the capital, all with successful results. The emperor offered him gold and silk, but he declined and was instead granted the title of “Protective State True Shepherd, Spiritual Response Zhenren.” Because he had long resided in Hongshan, the people also commonly referred to him as Hongshan Zhenren. He eventually passed away on Hongshan and was buried there. To show their gratitude for his life-saving and healing deeds, the local people built a temple and shrine at the site of his residence in the early Yuan Dynasty for annual worship.

Due to Hongshan Zhenren’s exceptional medical skills, generosity, virtuous conduct, and teachings during his lifetime, he was deeply revered. Legend has it that after his passing, he appeared multiple times to exorcise disasters and ward off misfortune for believers, greatly enhancing his divine prestige. As a result, worshippers flocked to the temple during the Qingming Festival, gradually forming a large-scale Qingming Temple Fair. Devotees from all directions came to pay homage at Hongshan Temple, worshipping Hongshan Zhenren and praying for healing and medicine every Qingming season. This gave rise to a far-reaching medicinal herb trade fair, which helped spread the worship of the Medicine King of Hongshan far and wide.

In order to conveniently worship Hongshan Zhenren, worshippers from other regions began building Hongshan Temples in their hometowns starting from the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hongshan Temples could be found throughout eastern and southern Henan, and even beyond the province. Among them, the Hongshan Temple located in Houdou Village, Zhile Township, Yanling County, Xuchang City, is a relatively well-preserved remnant of the Ming Dynasty Hongshan Temple, with a history of over 500 years.

Column Structure: Originally, there were 16 columns, representing a “wall may collapse but the house will not” architectural style. After modifications to create a flush gable roof, 10 columns are now visible, with 8 in the middle aligned front and back to form a neat central bay. The eave columns and interior columns are spaced 75 centimeters apart, connected by through-tenons. Beam structure: The roof uses a double-beam system. The main beam is 4.20 meters long, the secondary beam is 2.10 meters long, and the column caps are 1 meter high. Between the secondary beam and the ridge beam are two arched struts with a central column. There are seven layers of purlins, each supported by beams below. From the ridge beam to the beams and columns, a coffered central bay is formed, creating a very tight structure. The interior columns are supported by beams running both vertically and horizontally. There is no ceiling or caisson, representing an “exposed roof construction.” Originally, a statue of the Hongshan deity was enshrined inside, standing taller than the secondary beam. When the statue was removed, the supporting timber bore the inscription “cast in the seventh year of the Yongle era.” According to experts from the provincial ancient architecture research institute, it is a Ming Dynasty structure and holds significant value for the study of ancient architectural craftsmanship. It was listed as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in 1963 and included in the Henan Provincial Key Cultural Relic Protection Units list in 2006.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units