Fuchang Pavilion in Yiyang

Fuchang Pavilion in Yiyang

Fuchang Pavilion in Yiyang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Fuchang Pavilion is located in Fuchang Village, about 5 kilometers west of Hancheng Town, Yiyang County. It serves as a place of worship for Taoist masters. According to old county records, the Fuchang Palace was built here during the Sui Dynasty. The existing structures date back to the Ming Dynasty, with a comprehensive renovation carried out in the 24th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1819). In 1983, the provincial cultural relics bureau allocated 50,000 yuan to carry out a dismantling and rebuilding project following the principle of restoring the old as the old.

Fuchang Pavilion features a double-eaved, tower-linked architectural style with two layers of overhanging eaves, topped with yellow and green glazed tiles. Its four corners have upturned eaves adorned with hanging bells. The pavilion faces south and has five painted gates along its front. The surrounding foundation stones are made of bluestone slabs, while the walls are constructed from blue bricks, with delicately crafted ridge ornaments. The pavilion stands on a 30-meter-high platform, accessible from the south and both east and west sides via over 120 stone steps. Inside the pavilion stands a golden statue of the Patriarch. The wooden beams of the roof feature a uniquely interlocking structure, showcasing the ancient architectural artistry. The platform extends east and west in tiers, with several brick caves carved into the mountain cliffs on both sides. These caves house altars for deities such as the Medicine King, the Western Buddha, Laozi, Lü Dongbin, and Hua Tuo, each with a brick-paved platform in front. Climbing this lofty pavilion, one overlooks the Qinling Mountains to the north and faces the Xiong’er Mountains, surrounded by a sea of peaks — a majestic and awe-inspiring sight.

Beneath the pavilion lies the "Yan Tang Study," built by the Song Dynasty figure Fu Guo. It consists of three halls and is a Qing Dynasty-style rolled shed structure. The outer walls are inlaid with seven Qing Dynasty stone tablets. Among them, "Record of Yan Tang" was written by Fu Bi of the Northern Song Dynasty, while the others are restoration inscriptions from the Ming and Qing periods.

This pavilion is an important site for Taoist activities. The main deity enshrined inside is the True Martial Emperor, with additional altars for heavenly and earthly deities on both sides. On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, the scent of incense fills the air and sutra chanting never ceases, adding a mystical aura to Fuchang Pavilion. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, a grand fair is held at Fuchang Pavilion, attracting merchants and goods in great abundance, with attendance often reaching tens of thousands — an unprecedented spectacle. The Fuchang Temple Fair was listed as an intangible cultural heritage protection item of Henan Province in 2011.

Su Dongpo, the great literary master of the Song Dynasty, once served as the county clerk of Fuchang County. Fu Bi, a Song Dynasty statesman, authored the "Record of Yan Tang," which remains here. The outer walls of the building also feature seven Qing Dynasty stone tablets, serving as historical testimonies to the rise and fall of Fuchang Pavilion and holding significant archaeological research value.

On October 7, 2019, Fuchang Pavilion was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Attraction Location

Group 9, Fuchang Village, Yiyang County, Luoyang City, Henan Province

Fuchang Village: Fuchang Village…… More information about Fuchang Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units