Hometown of Xue Rengui

Hometown of Xue Rengui

The Hometown of Xue Rengui is a cultural tourism attraction.

Hejin has long been a place abundant in talented individuals since ancient times. Historical figures such as Sima Qian, Bu Zixia, Wang Bo, Wang Tong, and Xue... have left rich legacies here. The stories and cultural essence of these notable figures are scattered across the land of Hejin. Among them, the most noteworthy is Xue Rengui, the great general of the Tang Dynasty. As one historian once said, “Zhuge Liang’s thatched cottage, Du Fu’s grass hut, and Xue Rengui’s humble cave dwelling” are three rare examples of enduring historical simplicity in China. Today, let us explore the charm of one of these—the humble cave dwelling of Xue Rengui.

The tour route is as follows: the Memorial Archway — Shooting Wild Geese Pagoda — Kuixing Tower — Liu Family Courtyard — Xue Rengui Ancestral Hall — Cave Dwelling — Tomb of King Pingliao — Palace of King Pingliao — Xue Family Ancestral Hall — Ancient Village Commercial Street.

Memorial Archway — Upon arrival, the first thing you see is an ancient memorial archway inscribed with five large characters: “Hometown of Xue Rengui.” The archway is adorned with carvings primarily featuring qilin, a mythical creature symbolizing exceptional talent in ancient China. On the two stone pillars are four stone tigers with their heads up and tails down, representing the legend that Xue Rengui was the reincarnation of the White Tiger. The uniquely shaped tiger pillars also serve as a distinctive feature of the entrance archway.

Shooting Wild Geese Pagoda — At the Shooting Wild Geese Pagoda, you will see a statue of Xue Rengui standing about 3 meters tall, holding a bow and arrow as if he is shooting wild geese on the Fenhe River Bay.

This is called the Tiger-Gazing Platform. It is about 2 meters high and covers an area of approximately 100 square meters. Climbing onto the platform, you can clearly view the shape of the White Tiger Ridge, which resembles a giant tiger.

Kuixing Tower — In ancient Chinese mythology, Kuixing is the star governing literary fortune and scholarly writing, regarded as the deity of literary prosperity or decline. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, people began to sculpt and worship images of Kuixing, and during imperial examinations, he was revered as the deity of success. The Kuixing Tower is 8 meters tall with a base of 0.75 meters. The bottom foundation of the tower building is 6 meters in both length and width, and each successive level becomes smaller and lower, forming a pagoda-like structure. The first floor of the Kuixing Tower houses a statue of Kuixing raising his right hand and holding the “Imperial First Place Brush.” The surrounding walls are adorned with plaques inscribed with phrases such as “Prosperity in Fortune,” “Smooth Career Advancement,” and “Literary Brilliance Piercing the Stars,” all written by distinguished individuals. Stone tablets embedded in the walls list the names of successful scholars, top imperial examination candidates, and cultural figures from various dynasties in the village, serving as a form of recognition and commemoration. The second and third floors are mostly closed to the public.

Liu Residence (Liu Family Courtyard) — Legend has it that Master Liu was a wealthy landlord who chose this auspicious site at the northern foot of the Tiger Ridge in the Fenhe River Bay to build his residence. His home was very grand, and his daughter, Liu Yinghuan, fell in love with Xue Rengui, a servant working in their household. They eventually married, and this is the site of the Liu family’s former residence. There used to be a large pond in front of the Liu residence, which still exists today, and the stone door pillars of the Liu family are buried within the pond.

Cave Dwelling — This is where Xue Rengui and his wife Liu Yinghuan once lived together. Inside the cave dwelling, there is an old spinning wheel and various worn everyday items such as pots and pans. On the wall hangs a bow and arrow, which was used by Xue Ding Shan, the son of Xue Rengui, when he was young for shooting wild geese. The small room on the left side of the cave dwelling is designed as a storage room.

In this small courtyard, wooden fences surround the area along with pomegranate trees and a stone mortar, creating the atmosphere of a quaint family yard. Here, you feel as though you've traveled back to an era when women pounded rice and men hunted.

Xue Rengui Ancestral Hall —

I. Worship Plaza

Covering an area of approximately 2,000 square meters, the plaza is grand and awe-inspiring.

Stage: Facing south and overlooking the Ancestral Hall of King, the stage covers an area of about 8–6 square meters. Its foundation is about 2 meters high, built with brick and stone. The stage itself is 6 meters high and features a wooden structure with a hip-and-gable roof. The main function of the stage is to host performances during large ceremonies and events in honor of Xue Rengui.

Bell and Drum Towers: Each covering an area of about 6.5–5.5 m², they consist of two levels—the upper level is the drum tower, and the lower level is the bell tower. Built with a combination of brick and wood, the towers are 8 meters tall.

Sculpture: At the central axis of the plaza stands an 8-meter-tall statue of Xue Rengui. He is clad in white armor, riding a majestic steed, and holding a guandao (halberd).

II. Xue Dingshan Hall (Xue Na)

The hall houses statues of Xue Dingshan and Fan Lihua, with additional statues of their sons such as Xue Gang on the sides. The walls are decorated with murals showcasing their achievements.

III. White Robe General Hall

The hall contains a seated statue of the White Robe General, with eight life-sized statues of his top generals on both sides. The murals depict the military campaigns of Xue Rengui in the east and west, illustrating the might of the Tang army and the remarkable military accomplishments of Xue Rengui.

IV. White Robe

To the east of the village lies a towering hill that is quite majestic. Originally named Crouching Tiger Ridge, it was renamed White Tiger Ridge because Xue Rengui’s cave dwelling was located here and also due to the three Chinese characters “白袍” (White Robe), handwritten by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. From a distance, the ridge resembles a crouching tiger, with the tiger’s head facing west and its claws, ribs, and tail all distinguishable. Inside the White Robe area are two clay statues of Xue Rengui and his wife, as well as a model of the White Dragon Horse. Opening the cave door offers a distant view of the ancient capital Chang’an to the southwest. The site also includes a stone stele from the sixth year of the Qianlong reign, a cultural relic protection marker and inscription from the former Jishan County Government in 1960, a key cultural relic protection marker from Yuncheng City, a protection marker from Hejin County, and a memorial stele erected by descendants of the Xue family from Xiuren Village.

Xue Family Ancestral Hall — An ancestral hall symbolizes family heritage, representing family culture and honor. It serves as a bond of blood relations and a connection of shared values among relatives. It is also an important venue for clan descendants to gather and pay homage to their ancestors. The Xue Family Ancestral Hall is a product of ancestor worship. Before the Song Dynasty, the general public typically worshipped ancestors at their gravesites, while only the royal family had dedicated buildings for ancestor worship, known as the Grand Ancestral Temple or Clan Temple. From the Wei-Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, through the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, although commoners were allowed to construct ancestral temples, strict hierarchical rules limited eligibility, leaving very few qualified to do so. It wasn’t until the 15th year of the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing reign that “commoners were permitted to establish clan temples,” allowing ordinary people to begin worshipping ancestors. From then on, ancestral halls flourished across the regions.

The ancestral hall is located in Lijia Gully, Huangcun, facing south with an area of about 800 square meters. It consists of three sections: the main gate, the central hall, and the rear hall. The main gate is majestic, inscribed with the bold characters “Xue Family Ancestral Hall,” written in a solemn style by a respected elder of the Xue family.

Tomb of King Pingliao —

Northwest of the cave dwelling, beneath the White Tiger Ridge, lies a small earthen mound backed by the ridge and facing the Fenhe River to the south—an excellent feng shui location. This is the tomb of Xue Rengui, symbolizing the everlasting protection and flourishing prosperity of the Xue family. Having been titled King Pingliao, this site is also known as the Tomb of King Pingliao. The tomb is grand, reflecting the lifetime achievements of Xue Rengui. Walking from the cave dwelling to this site, you can sense the extraordinary journey of the hero Xue Rengui from poverty to glory. The General’s Path, a 150-meter-long, 5-meter-wide stairway leading up to the tomb, is lined on both sides with stone statues of guardians and beasts facing the tomb. The closest statues near the king’s grave depict the eight top generals under Xue Rengui’s command.

Palace of King Pingliao —

On either side of the main gate are inscribed couplets reading “A massive red-gold seal stamped with imperial authority” and “Loyalty to the sovereign and service to the nation knows no end.” Above the gate hangs a horizontal plaque inscribed with “Pingliao Royal Mansion.” A male and a female stone lion flank the entrance on each side.

The royal mansion covers an area of approximately 8,000 square meters and is divided into the front hall, middle hall, and rear hall. The front hall served as the place where Xue Rengui handled routine government affairs and was also known as the outer study. The hall contains two main functional areas: a reception hall and a study. The study is equipped with the traditional Four Treasures of the Study, and a white-sheathed sword hangs on the wall. The middle hall, known as the Silver Throne Hall, is where various ceremonies and meetings of the Xue family were held. The main hall features a “Pingliao King’s Chair” with a tiger-skin backrest, exuding the majestic aura of the White Tiger Star. The rear hall was used to receive important guests. The bedroom hall offers visitors the most attentive service. The east wing courtyard was the dining area, while the west wing courtyard housed a meeting room and a gym.

White Tiger Tower —

This is the place where Xue Rengui and Liu Yinghuan first met. The tower is eight sections high and built of brick, with a gleaming glazed precious gourd at its very top. At the base of the tower’s northern side lies an ancient official carriage path (Iron-Foot Carriage Road), which leads westward through Longmen to Xi’an and eastward to the ancient Jin capital of Houma. The wind chimes on the tower tinkle softly in the breeze, their timeless tones still audible today. These chimes serve as a reminder never to forget that this is a feng shui treasure land capable of rising to glory once more. There is also a legend about the tower’s construction during the Tang Dynasty: when the Fen River flooded, a cartload of timber was salvaged from the waters, but the Iron-Foot Carriage became stuck in the mud and could not move forward. Xue Rengui happened to come upon the situation and heroically offered his help. He personally took the reins and gave the cart a powerful pull, freeing it from the mud. This scene was witnessed by Liu Yinghuan, the daughter of Magistrate Liu, who watched from her high embroidery room at home—but what she saw was not Xue Rengui, but a great white tiger pulling the stuck cart free. From that moment, Liu Yinghuan’s admiration for Xue Rengui began to blossom, eventually leading to their lifelong union. To commemorate this story, the tower was later built and named the White Tiger Tower. A commemorative stele once stood at the base of the tower, but unfortunately, it was stolen later.

Wife-Watching Pavilion —

This is where Liu Yinghuan, after her husband Xue Rengui joined the army and did not return to their humble abode for eighteen years, would stand at a high spot to gaze into the distance whenever she missed him, expressing her longing. Xue Rengui, while hunting geese in Fenhe Bay, sometimes returned late, and Liu Yinghuan would often stand here hoping for his safe return. Hence, the pavilion is called the Wife-Watching Pavilion.

Source: Yuncheng City Local Chronicles Compilation Committee