Changping Guan Yu Temple

Changping Guan Yu Temple

Changping Guan Yu Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Changping Guan Yu Temple (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Within Changping Village, Changping Township, Yanhu District

Changping Guan Yu Temple faces south and follows the traditional layout of “front hall for worship, rear hall for rest.” The main structures are arranged along the central axis, while auxiliary buildings are symmetrically placed on both sides. In front of the temple stand two wooden memorial archways inscribed with “Spiritual Bells Echo Over the Salt Sea” and “Graceful Virtue Nurtured by Mt. Tiao.” The bell and drum towers are located on either side, with a stone-carved memorial archway in the center between them. The front of the archway is engraved with “Hometown of Lord Guan,” erected in the third year of the Ming Jiajing era. Passing through the archway, you’ll find the Mountain Gate, the Wumen (Noon Gate), and the Offering Hall. All three structures are three bays wide and four rafters deep, with flush gable roofs. The front and rear eaves of the Offering Hall are open, and its beams and brackets are simply designed but adorned with colorful paintings. According to inscriptions, it was rebuilt in the 23rd year of the Jiaqing era (1818).

The Ancestral Pagoda is located between the Mountain Gate and the Wumen. It is an octagonal, seven-story solid brick pagoda without a base, featuring seven layers of eaves that project in a corbelled style. The body of the pagoda contains five embedded inscriptions, documenting its construction in the 17th year of the Jin Dading era (1177) and subsequent renovations during the Ming Jiajing and Qing Jiaqing eras.

Behind the Offering Hall lies the Chongning Hall, which is five bays wide and four bays deep, with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. Inside the hall, a wooden carved shrine houses a seated statue of Guan Yu, flanked by four attendants with reverent expressions. Passing through the floral-pendant gate leads to a group of quadrangle courtyard buildings. The main structure is the Goddess Hall, five bays wide and deep, nearly square in plan, with a front corridor and a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The statues of Lady Guan and her maids inside are considered fine examples of Qing dynasty sculpture. The Ancestral Temple is located on the highest and largest platform at the rear of the temple complex and was rebuilt in the 28th year of the Qianlong era. It is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a flush gable roof. The Buddhist altar inside features statues of Guan Yu’s earliest ancestors, three generations of his paternal forebears, and their wives—unique among military temples in China.

The Guan Yu Family Temple currently houses over 20 steles, providing detailed records of Guan Yu’s historical titles, family history, and the evolution of the temple.

Address: Changping Village, Jiezhou Town, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City

Type: Temple

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Opening Hours:

Peak Season: 08:00–18:00

Ticket Information:

Door Price: Starting from 25.0 RMB

30 RMB in peak season, 25 RMB in off-peak season

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units