Hometown of Yang Guifei in Yulin

Hometown of Yang Guifei in Yulin

The Hometown of Yang Guifei in Yulin is a cultural tourism attraction.

The hometown of Yang Guifei in Yulin is located in Yangwai Village, about 5 kilometers from the county seat. According to the "Inscription on the Monument of Yang Guifei in Jinning County, Rongzhou" written by Xu Zizhen of the Tang Dynasty, Yang Guifei was born and originated from what is now Yangwai Village in Rong County. The ancestral village of Yang Guifei, Yangwai Village, is hidden deep within rolling hills. A small river winds southward from Wantu Field and joins the Xiujian River at Shiliwei. Along the river lie stretches of rice paddies, surrounded by verdant mountains, with farmhouses and villages nestled among lychee and pomelo orchards. Nearby also grow clusters of Lingyun bamboo and the nationally protected tree species, Erythrophleum fordii. This area truly boasts picturesque scenery with its lush green mountains and beautiful waters. Currently, the village still has remnants of the Temple of Yang Guifei and the Well of the Guifei, while to the east of the county seat lies the site of Yang Guifei’s Dressing Table.

The newly built Guifei Garden offers a different kind of charm. It is constructed based on the legendary story of Yang Guifei from the Tang Dynasty and is divided into sections: the Birth of the Guifei, Dressing Up in Rongzhou Prefecture, Clouds over Ling Bamboo, Enfeoffment as Guifei, the Drunken Guifei, the Dancing Guifei, the Bathing Guifei, the Smiling Concubine, and the Unjust Death at Mawei Slope. All figures are made of silicone, and the architecture imitates the Tang style, making it an unforgettable historical figure-themed park. The Well of the Guifei was originally a shallow well enclosed by rectangular stone slabs, where young Yang often helped her family draw water. Legend has it that drinking from this well contributed to her stunning beauty. Ming Dynasty scholar Kuang Lu from Guangdong once specifically investigated the well and wrote in his book *Chiyah*: "The Yang Guifei Well is the coldest and clearest; drinking from it enhances one’s beauty and grace, and the area below is covered with fragrant grass." Ancient texts such as the *Famous Scenic Spots of Guangxi* from the Ming Dynasty also documented this. Before liberation, the well still existed but has since been buried.

The Temple of the Guifei is located on a earthen slope to the west of Lingzui Village and was built by ancient villagers in memory of the Guifei. The temple was preserved after liberation but was demolished in 1965. In recent years, villagers rebuilt it on the original site. The central hall enshrines a statue of the Guifei. The couplet on the temple gate reads: "Born in Yangwai, originally from Rongzhou—this is beyond dispute; bestowed death at Mawei, deified on Penglai—is still in question." The surroundings offer wide views, with the temple gate facing south, the earthen slope descending to low hills and farmland, and distant mountain ranges stretching out. Behind the temple, several earthen hills encircle the area like petals of a green lotus flower, covered with lush lychee trees. Yang Yuhuan loved eating lychees during her life, and the villagers chose this location to build the temple as a meaningful tribute.

Guifei Mountain is located in Jinniu Ridge northeast of Lingzui Village. Legend has it that the ancestral tomb of Yang Guifei is within the mountain. This area features undulating mountains, mostly under 300 meters in elevation. The mountain is crisscrossed with valleys and dense forests. In addition, other relics of the Guifei include the Dressing Table of Yang Guifei, located east of the Jinglue Platform in the county seat, which legend says was built for her by her adoptive father, Yang Kang, the Prefect of Rongzhou.

Yang Yuhuan (719–756), daughter of Yang Xuanlian, who served as a registrar in Shuzhou (now Chongqing County, Sichuan). Her ancestral home was in Huayin, Hongnong (now Huayin, Shaanxi), but later the family moved to Dutou Village, Yongle County, Puzhou (now Yongji City).

Yuhuan lost both parents at a young age and was raised by her uncle. In the 22nd year of the Kaiyuan era (734), at the age of 15, Yang Yuhuan was chosen as the concubine of Li Mao, Prince Shou, becoming the daughter-in-law of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

In the 24th year of the Kaiyuan era (736), Wu Huifei, the most beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong, passed away. The emperor was deeply grieved and lamented, “Among the thousands in the inner palace, none could compare to her” (*Old Book of Tang*... More detailed information on Yang Yuhuan++)