The Main Hall of Taishan Temple in Changge

The Main Hall of Taishan Temple in Changge

The Main Hall of Taishan Temple in Changge is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

Taishan Temple, also known as Dongyue Temple, is located at Dongguan in the old town of Changge. Its exact founding date is unknown. It was renovated in the 47th year of the Wanli era (1619), the 3rd year of the Tianqi era (1623) during the Ming Dynasty, the 18th year of the Kangxi era (1679), the 10th year of the Qianlong era (1745), and the 18th year of the Guangxu era (1892) during the Qing Dynasty.

Most of the temple structures have been damaged, and only the main hall and the western side hall remain today. The main hall features a five-bay width and three-bay depth, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered in green glazed tubular tiles. The center of the roof is adorned with a square yellow glazed tile medallion, and the tile ends are decorated with beast-head patterns. The main ridge, hip ridges, and gable ridges are all adorned with glazed peony designs. At the center of the main ridge sits a triple-eave pavilion, flanked by ridge-end mythical beasts with swords inserted on their backs. Various small figures are placed along the vertical ridges, while warrior figures adorn the diagonal ridges. Four wind chimes hang from the eaves, clinking melodiously in the breeze. The hall is surrounded by five-curved double-angled bracket sets under the eaves, with square bracket arms on the rear and side eaves, and dragon-headed ones on the front. The gables are fitted with bargeboards and hanging fish ornaments. The beams and brackets are painted with bright-colored designs. In 1981, it was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit by the county government and is now a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province