Xian'an Jade Emperor Temple

Xian'an Jade Emperor Temple

The Xian'an Jade Emperor Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Xian'an Jade Emperor Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Ming, Qing, and Republic of China

Address: Xian'an Village, Huangniuti Township, Lucheng City, Changzhi, Shanxi Province

The Xian'an Jade Emperor Temple has an uncertain date of establishment. It faces south and features a single-courtyard layout. Along the central axis are the mountain gate, offering pavilion, and main hall. On both sides are east and west dressing towers, east and west wing rooms, east and west corridor rooms, and east and west side halls. The temple measures 48 meters from north to south and 22.25 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 1,068 square meters.

The existing main hall is a remnant of the Ming Dynasty. It was built on a stone platform that is 0.75 meters high, with a width of five bays and a depth of six rafters. It features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. In front of the platform, there is a four-step ramp with vertical balustrades. The bracket sets are of the suspended type. The principal ridge, hips, and purlins are primarily constructed using through-tenon joints, while the bracket arms, arches, and rafters mainly use dovetail, pegged, and mortise-and-tenon joints. The decorative carvings on the brackets and caisson ceiling reflect the refined architectural style characteristic of the Ming Dynasty. The hall's interior columns are arranged densely, and the structure is both rational and robust.

Inside the temple is a stele inscribed with "Record of the Reconstruction of the Jade Emperor Temple," dated to the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922). This temple provides tangible material for the study of Ming Dynasty temple architecture in Lucheng City.

Source of information: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Xian'an Village: Located 22 kilometers east of Lucheng City and bordering Pingshun County, Xian'an Village is traversed by Provincial Highways He-Lu and Chang-Xian, giving it a superior geographical location and convenient transportation. The village has 320 households with a population of 1,142, including 34 Party members. There are over 200 villagers working outside the village. The arable land covers more than 2,200 mu, with crops including sweet corn, soybeans, wheat, and millet, along with supporting animal husbandry. The area is abundant in persimmons and walnuts. Leveraging the nationally protected cultural heritage site Yuanqi Temple and the Zhuozhang River, Xian'an Village has vigorously developed tourism with the Greenfield Drifting attraction as its flagship. Tourism has become a pillar industry for the village, contributing significantly to the per capita... More detailed information about Xian'an Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites in Shanxi Province