Xiaping Guan Yu Temple

Xiaping Guan Yu Temple

Xiaping Guan Yu Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Xiaping Guan Yu Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Yuan and Qing Dynasties

Address: Xiaping Village, Caochuan Town, Pinglu County, Yuncheng City

Xiaping Guan Yu Temple, the year of its establishment is unknown. According to inscriptions in the temple, it was renovated multiple times in the 35th year of the Qianlong reign (1770), the 23rd year of the Jiaqing reign (1818), the 30th year of the Daoguang reign (1850), and the 4th year of the Xianfeng reign (1854). The entire temple complex faces east and measures 56 meters in width from east to west and 31.4 meters in length from north to south, covering an area of 1,758 square meters. There are currently three courtyards in total. Along the central axis from east to west are, in sequence, a theater stage, an offering hall, the main hall, and the Goddess Hall. On both sides of the theater stage are two dressing towers. In the first courtyard, there is one corridor building on the north and south sides respectively, though the northern corridor building has been lost, leaving only ruins. In the second courtyard, there were originally one official hall each on the north and south sides; the northern one has been lost, while the southern one has partially collapsed. The southern side chamber of the main hall has partially collapsed, and the northern one has been lost. Among the existing structures, the main hall dates back to the Yuan Dynasty, while the others are remnants from the Qing Dynasty.

The main hall is three bays wide. The central bay’s beam frame features a “four-rafter house with four rafter braces, supported by brackets atop columns and tied beams, using four pillars along the full eave length.” Under the eaves are one set each of bracket sets on the column tops and between columns, all being four-tiered with outward-projecting ang.

The Goddess Hall is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a front porch. Inside the temple, there is one stele inscribed with the “Record of Reconstruction,” dated the 2nd year of the Xianfeng reign (1852).

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Xiaping Village: Located 8 kilometers east of Caochuan Town, Xiaping Village covers a total area of 14 square kilometers and is a typical mountain village. Due to natural constraints, the village has only two main roads. It has a total of 3,835 mu of land, including 3,580 mu of arable land, 132 mu of orchards, and 123 mu of woodland.

The village consists of 12 residential groups, with 682 households and a total population of 2,016, including 986 laborers, 187 elderly people aged over 65, and 65 Party members. In recent years, to enrich villagers’ cultural life, funds have been raised to build a new cultural center and purchase fitness... More detailed information about Xiaping Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relics Protection Units in Shanxi Province