Li Laozhuang Jade Emperor Temple

Li Laozhuang Jade Emperor Temple

The Li Laozhuang Jade Emperor Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Li Laozhuang Jade Emperor Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Yuan and Qing Dynasties

Address: Li Laozhuang Village, Xishe Town, Jishan County, Yuncheng City

The date of establishment of the Li Laozhuang Jade Emperor Temple is unknown. According to an extant stele in the temple: General Li Mu of the State of Zhao once stationed troops here for defense. In 233 BC, Li Mu led his army to a great victory against Qin, was rewarded for his merit, and was posthumously titled King Wuan. To commemorate General Li Mu, later generations specially built the Li Mu Temple for worship. This temple faces south, is 25 meters wide from east to west, 46 meters long from north to south, and covers an area of 1,150 square meters. Currently, only the main hall and the offering hall remain. The main hall's door pillow stone bears an inscription dated “the second year of the Yuan Dynasty's Taiding era,” providing an authentic and reliable basis for dating the main hall, while the offering hall is a structure from the Qing Dynasty.

The main hall is five bays wide and four rafters deep, with a beam-frame structure described as a “four-rafter house with four rafters…”. The bracket sets are complex, and the roof is supported by columns. The space is grand. On the front eaves purlin are inscriptions from the Ming Dynasty, and the murals on the gable walls are elegant. The main hall has a Ming-style painted ceiling. The front eaves purlin and gable paintings are exquisitely rendered. The roof features decorated ridge tiles. The construction method is refined and the overall form is majestic.

The offering hall is three bays wide and one bay deep, featuring a four-rafter coffered ceiling structure, with a flush-gable roof covered in gray clay tubular tiles and adorned with gray clay ridge ornaments. The two gable walls each feature one painting of the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, respectively, though the images are incomplete and show signs of damage.

The temple preserves several stone tablets including: the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Jade Emperor Temple and Offering Hall” from the 25th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1760), the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Worship Pavilion, Main Hall Repairs, Music Tower, and Tea House” from the 29th year of the Guangxu reign (1903), the “Record of the Paving of the Temple Courtyard” from the 9th year of the Xianfeng reign (1859), and the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Yue Tower” merit stele from the 16th year of the Jiaqing reign (1811).

Information source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Li Laozhuang Village: Li Laozhuang Village is located in the northeastern part of Xishe Town, bordering Xinjiang to the east, and serves as the eastern gateway to Jishan County. The village has a total population of 2,275, including 857 laborers and 27 Party members, divided into 9 residential groups. It has 4,948 mu of arable land, and currently hosts 710 vegetable greenhouses, making it the county’s largest pollution-free vegetable production base. The per capita greenhouse income in the village exceeds 6,000 yuan, making it the main source of income for local residents.

In recent years, under the development trends of building a new socialist countryside and promoting the “one village, one product” initiative, the village’s leading group has focused on optimizing its primary industry and increasing farmers’ income... More detailed information about Li Laozhuang Village ++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relics Protection Units of Shanxi Province