Rui Cheng Temple to the City God

Rui Cheng Temple to the City God

Rui Cheng Temple to the City God is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Rui Cheng Temple to the City God is located on Yongle South Street in Rui Cheng County, Shanxi Province, commonly known as the South Temple. The City God is one of the important deities widely worshipped in Han Chinese religious culture, often represented by meritorious local officials or heroes, and is revered by both the folk and Taoist traditions as the guardian deity of the city. It was first built during the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1008–1016), and underwent multiple renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was repaired again in 1985. The temple covers a construction area of 1,590 square meters, with main structures including the main hall from the Song Dynasty, the offering pavilion from the Yuan Dynasty, and the offering hall, bedroom hall, and side rooms from the Qing Dynasty. The temple houses 98 stone tablets, statues, and epitaphs collected through the dynasties, dating from the Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods, serving as valuable historical materials.

Address: Xiaoxi Lane, Yongle South Street, Rui Cheng County

According to inscriptions, it was first built during the Dazhong Xiangfu era of the Song Dynasty (1008–1016), and was renovated multiple times during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The existing main hall is the original structure from the Song Dynasty, the offering pavilion is a Yuan Dynasty building, and the rest were constructed during the Qing Dynasty.

The main hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The front eaves feature bracket sets on the columns, with upturned corners, and the roof is gently curved. The design is elegant and refined.

The offering pavilion is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The front eaves have thick columns with obvious entasis, and there are no interior pillars. The beams and columns are roughly hewn without any finishing, showing clear Yuan Dynasty craftsmanship.

The offering hall is five bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave roll-roof canopy. It has a front corridor and a central door leading to the main hall. The bedroom hall is located at the very back, also five bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof.

The temple faces south and has a two-courtyard layout. The central axis consists of the offering pavilion, offering hall, main hall, and bedroom hall. The east and west sides of the front courtyard are corridors, while those of the rear courtyard are side rooms. The main hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The front eaves have bracket sets on the columns, with upturned corners, and the roof is gently curved. There are also side corridors, projecting eaves, and flying rafters. The interior is simple and unadorned, with no excessive decoration. The wooden structure is well-preserved, with original paint remaining in some areas. The ceiling is made of wooden grids, and the floor is paved with old bricks. The bedroom hall is at the very rear, also five bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof. The final section includes side rooms, which are two bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof. The most sacred area is located right at the back, consisting of side rooms that are three bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof. The entire complex is situated in the center of the ancient town and is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Location of the Attraction

Rui Cheng County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units