Hengshui Chengtang Temple

Hengshui Chengtang Temple

Hengshui Chengtang Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Hengshui Chengtang Temple (Fifth Batch Provincial Protected Site)

Era: Ming and Qing Dynasties

Address: Northeast of Hengdong Village, Hengshui Town, Jiang County, Yuncheng City

Hengshui Chengtang Temple, the year of its establishment is unknown. It was renovated in the 14th year of the Qianlong reign (1749), the statue of the Goddess was refurbished in the 16th year (1751), and the theater stage was rebuilt in the 18th year (1753). In the 19th year of the Jiaqing reign (1814), the Wenchang Pavilion was built. In the 2nd year of the Xianfeng reign (1852), it was renovated, and the mountain gate, north room, and gate tower were newly constructed.

The entire temple faces south and currently consists of a two-courtyard layout. It is 34 meters wide from east to west and 89.2 meters long from north to south, covering an area of 3,033 square meters. The original plan layout is not entirely preserved. Along the central axis from south to north are the Offering Hall, Tangdi Hall, and Goddess Hall. To the east and west sides of the Goddess Hall are the Horse King Temple and the God of Wealth Temple, respectively. Among them, the Offering Hall is a structure remaining from the Ming Dynasty, while the others are from the Qing Dynasty. The foundations of the Medicine King Temple and Confucius Temple are also preserved.

The Offering Hall is three bays wide and one bay deep. Its major wooden frame adopts a “five-rafter, no-corridor style,” with a single-eave, hanging gable roof. The roofing is covered with cylindrical tiles, and the ridges are adorned with gray pottery ornaments. Below the eaves are placed bracket sets on the columns and between columns. The decorative motifs are refined, the colored paintings on beams and brackets are bright and elegant, and the wooden carvings are exquisitely made. Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Hengdong Village: Hengdong Village is located in the northwest of Jiang County, approximately 11 kilometers from the county seat and 500 meters from the town government. A highway runs along the edge of the village, offering favorable geographical conditions. The total area of the village is 18.5 square kilometers, with 6 villager groups, 393 households, and a population of 1,680. The village has 1,538 mu of arable land, 6 village cadres, and 33 Party members. There is one Party branch with 4 Party subgroups, making the village-level organization well-established. Within the village lies the Chengtang Temple, a municipal-level cultural heritage site (Yuan Dynasty). The village actively develops characteristic agriculture and has established the Sushui Pond Lotus Cooperative, with a planting area of 280 mu. … More detailed information about Hengdong Village ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites