Ancient Architectural Complex of Fencheng

Ancient Architectural Complex of Fencheng

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Fencheng is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Fencheng Town is located 16 kilometers southwest of Xiangfen County. In the early Tang Dynasty, it was the fiefdom of Yu Chijingong, known as Egong Fort. In the seventh year of the Zhenguan era (633 AD), the county seat was moved here from the ancient city and renamed Taiping County. Thanks to construction efforts across successive dynasties, Fencheng has retained a large number of ancient buildings and is hailed as one of the top ten ancient architectural complexes in Shanxi Province. The total area is approximately 20,000 square meters (centered around the Drum Tower and extending from north to south in sequence: the Temple of the City God, Confucius Temple, Minglun Temple, Drum Tower, Pre-School Brick Pagoda, County Government Hall, Guan Di Temple, Sheji Temple, Hongji Bridge, city walls, etc.).

Temple of the City God: Built in the second year of the Ming Hongwu era, with a construction area of 4,000 square meters, it consists of a screen wall, stone flagpoles, two memorial archways, the mountain gate, an open-air stage, an offering pavilion, the main hall, bell and drum towers, and western side halls. The roof’s glazed components are well-preserved. The main ridge and hip ridges feature colorful depictions of fish turning into dragons, flowers, birds, mythical beasts, celestial beings, and colorful horses, making them outstanding examples of Ming Dynasty glazed artwork. It was designated as a county-level protected site in 1961.

Confucius Temple: With a construction area of 6,000 square meters, it was first built in the Tang Dynasty, rebuilt in the sixth year of the Yuan Zhiyuan era (1269 AD), and restored during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Its main structures include a screen wall, the Lingxing Gate, the Pan Pond, the Dacheng Gate, the Shrine of Meritorious Officials and the Shrine of Local Sages, eastern and western side halls, a moon platform, the Dacheng Hall, the Scripture Depository, and the Shrine of Venerable Sage. It was designated as a county-level protected site in 1961.

Minglun Temple: Established in the Yuan Dynasty, covering an area of 283 square meters, it currently serves as a stele forest, housing dozens of stone tablets. Among them is the most completely preserved Northern Wei Dynasty statue stele from the second year of Zhengguang (512 AD), as well as Northern Qi, Sui, Tang dynasty statue steles, and calligraphy steles.

The Temple of the City God and the Confucius Temple stand adjacent to each other, separated only by a street but connected by two wooden memorial archways erected at cross streets. The stone flagpoles and colorful glazed screen wall of the Temple of the City God are attached directly to the back wall of the Confucius Temple. In addition to their staggered, colorful glazed-roofed buildings, the two temples also feature ancient cypresses several people can hug, towering and lush, presenting a magnificent sight. Viewed from above, the red walls and green tiles are dotted with dense greenery, evoking a sense of ancient mystery.

Drum Tower: Located at the center of the crossroads, it was first built during the Tang Zhenguan era, with the current structure reconstructed in the 47th year of the Qing Kangxi era (1708 AD) and renovated again during the Daoguang era of the Qing and the Republican period. It is a pavilion-style building with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, standing about 15 meters tall. The base features a cross-shaped arched passageway leading to the four streets, with the structure divided into upper and lower levels. The lower level is surrounded by a parapet wall.

The middle section is built with plain brick walls along four pillars, with doors on all four sides. Internally, a wooden staircase leads to the second floor. The upper level is equipped with wooden railings, offering a distant view in all directions. Both levels are supported by bracket sets that extend the eaves and wing corners. The structure looks majestic and ornate.

Pre-School Brick Pagoda: The year of its initial construction is unknown. The pagoda is 24 meters tall, with a base circumference of 20 meters, octagonal in shape, and has nine levels. It was designated as a county-level protected site in 1961.

County Government Hall: First built in the Tang Dynasty, it originally served as the residence of Egong, the military commander. It was destroyed in a major earthquake in the 34th year of the Kangxi era (1695 AD) and rebuilt in the 35th year (1696 AD). It was designated as a county-level protected site in 1961.

Guan Di Temple: Located on the north side of Xiaodongmen Inner Street, facing west, it was built in the fourth year of the Yuan Dade era (1300 AD). The existing main hall covers an area of 196 square meters, with a width of five bays, a hanging hip roof, and a glazed tile roof. It is grand and spectacular, with the main hall well-preserved.

Sheji Temple: Located on the north side of Shipo in Nanguan, it was built during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty and restored during the Jiaqing and Daoguang eras of the Qing Dynasty. Existing structures include the Offering Hall, the Main Hall,

the Bell and Drum Towers (both levels), eastern and western side halls. Its wood carvings and painted decorations are exquisitely detailed, elegant, and beautiful, representing the essence of carving art.

Hongji Bridge: Located below Shipo in Nanguan, running east-west. The bridge is a single-arch stone structure with carved dragon heads spouting water on the arch crown. Five wooden-stone hybrid, single-eave hip-roofed corridors were built longitudinally along the bridge’s east-west axis. Originally constructed in the 23rd year of the Jin Dading era (1184 AD), the wooden columns of the corridors were later replaced with stone ones during the Qing Qianlong era, and the bridge was renovated again in the ninth year of the Republican era, preserving its current intact form.

City Walls: The original city walls of Taiping County were rammed earth structures. In the fourth year of the Chongzhen era, County Magistrate Wei Gonghan initiated large-scale construction, “laying foundations with oil shale and building up with bricks.” The best-preserved sections of the existing walls are on the western side.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units