Shenwu Temple in Shenze

Shenze Shenwu Temple

Shenze Shenwu Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

Originally, the city of Shenze had only three gates: east, south, and west. There was no gate to the north. During the Jiajing era, Li Chengshi from Datong served as the magistrate of Shenze. In the 41st year of the Ming Jiajing reign (1562), he built an earthen platform in the middle section of the northern city wall. It took several months to complete. Because it was located on the northern side of the city and offered a high vantage point to view the North Star and orient oneself in the cardinal directions, this platform came to be known as the Beiji Platform. The platform is over four zhang high, with a base circumference of more than fifty zhang. Once the platform was completed, it became the highest point in Shenze. People flocked to climb it, adjusting their clothes as they went. From its height, one could gaze into the distance at the vast farmlands, scattered villages, and a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.

After the earthen platform was completed, a wooden pavilion was constructed on top, and the Shenwu Temple was built there (Shenwu, or the Dark Warrior, is said to be the deity of the north, capable of flying over the sea and through the air, and of guarding the northern lands with might). The temple features red beams and green tiles, with upturned eaves that give the platform an instant radiance.

A pond was dug at the foot of the platform, and a spring was introduced, surrounded by planted poplar and willow trees, turning it into a scenic highlight of the town. The local elders claimed that the Beiji Platform symbolized the town’s cultural refinement and influenced the county’s success in the imperial examinations.

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province