Sitou Guan Yu Temple

Sitou Guan Yu Temple

Sitou Guan Yu Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Shanxi Province.

Sitou Guan Yu Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial Protected Sites)

Era: Yuan, Ming, Qing

Address: Beigaoling, Sitou Village, Caochuan Town, Pinglu County, Yuncheng City

The Sitou Guan Yu Temple’s date of establishment is unknown. According to inscriptions on steles and beams, it was renovated in the 4th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1371), the 2nd year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1645), the 58th year of the Kangxi era (1719), the 8th year of the Yongzheng era (1730), the 1st year of the Qianlong era (1741), and the 33rd year of the Qianlong era (1768). The temple faces south and has a three-courtyard layout, measuring 40 meters in width from east to west and 70 meters in length from north to south, covering an area of 2,800 square meters. Along the central axis from south to north are the Mountain Gate, Offering Hall, Main Hall, and Spring and Autumn Tower; on both sides of the Mountain Gate in the first courtyard are the Bell and Drum Towers and side rooms, while in the second courtyard, there are side rooms on each side of the Main Hall and east and west wing rooms in the courtyard. The Main Hall is a Yuan Dynasty building, the Offering Hall is a Ming Dynasty building, and aside from the newly built side room west of the Mountain Gate, all other structures are from the Qing Dynasty.

The Spring and Autumn Tower is located at the northernmost end of the central axis. It is a two-story structure: the first floor has three bays in both width and depth, surrounded by corridors; the second floor has one bay in both width and depth, with a gray clay tubular tile roof and gray clay ridge ornaments. The second floor features a cross-shaped hip-and-gable roof.

The Main Hall is three bays wide and five rafters deep. Its beam framework follows the “five-rafter house with four rafters...”, using three pillars along the full eave length. It has a single-eave hanging gable roof, with board tiles and gray clay ridge ornaments. The front eave has one bracket set at the column head and one intermediate bracket set, both in the style of four-piece bracket sets with outward-projecting cantilevers; the rear eave only has column head bracket sets, in a four-piece single-cantilever style.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics

Caochuan Town: Located in the eastern part of Pinglu County, Caochuan Town borders the Tiaoshan Mountain to the north, faces the Yellow River and Henan Province across the river to the south, neighbors QiJiahe Township of Xia County to the east, and adjoins Podi Township of the same county to the west. It is 50 kilometers from Pinglu County seat and lies in the “golden triangle” area where three counties of two provinces—Pinglu County, Xia County, and Mianchi County of Henan—converge. The town government is stationed in Caochuan Village. The town covers a land area of 145 square kilometers, with 51,020 mu of arable land (70% of which is sloped land), 19 administrative villages, 183 resident groups, and a population of 21,000.

　Caochuan Town is a typical mountainous township... More details about Caochuan Town ++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Heritage Protected Sites in Shanxi Province