The Wenyu (Civil and Military) Twin Temples of Lingling

The Wenyu (Civil and Military) Twin Temples of Lingling

The Wenyu (Civil and Military) Twin Temples of Lingling are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Lingling Confucius Temple is located on Dongmenling Road in the ancient city of Lingling, Yongzhou (next to Yongzhou No. 5 Middle School, within the Lingling Cultural Relics Management Office). Originally known as the "Lingling County Confucius Temple," it was also called the "County Academy," "Temple of the First Teacher," "Temple of Confucius," or "Sacred Temple." It was first built in the early years of the Jiading era of the Song Dynasty (1208), originally situated on the west bank of the Xiao River, left of Yuxi Bridge, and was later relocated and reconstructed six times, having been moved to four different sites. The existing structures were rebuilt in the 40th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1775), but today only the Dacheng Hall and the eastern and western side halls remain, with a total floor area of about 700 square meters.

The Dacheng Hall features a hip-and-gable double-eave roof with upturned corners, covered in yellow glazed tiles that give it a resplendent golden appearance. The front porch has four stone pillars—two made of white marble and two of bluestone—each carved with relief designs of coiled dragons and flying phoenixes. In front of the hall, a moon terrace and stairway are flanked by a pair of stone lions and a pair of stone elephants, while the stairway is adorned with white marble relief carvings of dragons amidst clouds. The platform base of the main hall, the surrounding stone railings, as well as the stone plinths of the pillars, are all engraved with patterns depicting figures, birds, beasts, and flowers. These carvings are quaint in design, exquisitely detailed, and lifelike, making each piece a true work of art.

In 2013, the Lingling Confucius Temple and the Lingling Martial Temple were jointly designated as the Wenyu (Civil and Military) Twin Temples of Lingling and included in the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units