Luoyang Zhougong Temple

Luoyang Zhougong Temple

Luoyang Zhougong Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Luoyang Zhougong Temple is located on the east side of Dingding South Road in Xigong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province. It was first built in the late Sui Dynasty to commemorate Zhougong, a great thinker, statesman, and military strategist in Chinese history. The temple was renovated during the Ming, Qing, and early Republican periods.

Zhougong, surname Ji and given name Dan, was the son of King Wen of Zhou, the brother of King Wu, and the uncle of King Cheng. He assisted King Wu in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty, establishing the Zhou Dynasty, leading eastern campaigns to suppress the joint rebellion of the "Three Supervisors" and Wu Geng (the son of King Zhou of Shang), founding Luoyi, and formulating rites and music. His thoughts laid the foundation of Confucian doctrine in China.

The existing structures of Zhougong Temple include the ruins of Yuansheng Hall along the central north-south axis, Dingding Hall, Liyue Hall, the rear hall, as well as the east and west side halls and wing rooms. The foundation of Yuansheng Hall is located in front of Dingding Hall. Historical records indicate that it was a double-eaved, three-bay building, housing a statue of "Yuansheng" (Sage Ancestor) Zhougong. Dingding Hall, with five bays in width and three in depth, bears the plaque inscribed with "Dingding Hall," signifying Zhougong’s establishment of the capital at Luoyi. It features a nine-ridge hip-and-gable roof covered with glazed tiles, preserving the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty. The hall enshrines statues of Zhougong, his brothers Shao Gong and Bi Gong, and his sons Bo Qin and Jun Chen. The plaque of Dingding Hall was inscribed by Dai Jitao, an elder statesman and former president of the Examination Yuan. In 1991, during renovations of Dingding Hall, a polychrome standing statue of Bo Qin, Zhougong’s eldest son and the first ruler of the State of Lu, was discovered in a niche on the eastern wall. This is the largest Ming Dynasty polychrome sculpture found in Henan to date. Liyue Hall, originally named Huizhong Shrine, has three bays in width and two in depth. The rear hall also has three bays in width and two in depth. In the 55th year of the Qianlong reign (1790) during the Qing Dynasty, Gong Songlin, the magistrate of Luoyang, oversaw repairs to this hall.

In May 2006, Luoyang Zhougong Temple was approved by the State Council as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, recognized as an ancient architectural site from the Ming to Qing periods.

Address: 100m east of the intersection of Dingding South Road and Kaixuan East Road, Laocheng District, Luoyang City

Type: Historic Site Museum

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Phone: 0379-63484882

Official Website: http://www.lyzgm.com/

Opening Hours:

Tuesday–Sunday: 8:30–17:00; closed on Mondays.

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units