Zhongheshui Taishan Temple

Zhongheshui Taishan Temple

Zhongheshui Taishan Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Zhongheshui Taishan Temple (5th Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site)

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Zhongheshui Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng County, Linfen City

Zhongheshui Taishan Temple, commonly known as Dongyue Temple, faces south and features a two-courtyard layout. Along the central axis from south to north are the mountain gate, theater stage, offering hall (now ruined), and main hall. The first courtyard has side halls on both sides, with wing rooms adjacent to the side halls. The second courtyard has side halls, the Earth God Hall, corridor rooms, the God of Wealth Hall, and more side halls on the west side, while the east side includes side halls, the Horse King Hall, corridor rooms, the Medicine King Hall, and additional side halls. On the east and west sides of the main hall are the Fire God Hall and the Goddess Hall. It is the largest and most intact group of Qing Dynasty buildings still preserved in Yicheng.

The construction date of the main hall is unknown, but it was rebuilt in the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1807). It is three bays wide and two bays deep, with a front porch, a single-eave hanging hip roof, gray pottery tubular tiles, and gray pottery ridge ornaments. There are four bays of beams inside the hall, and the beam structure follows a six-rafter front-porch style. The front eaves’ central and side beams feature carvings of auspicious clouds and dragons. The column capitals and intercolumnar brackets are adorned with dougong sets, using three-curved bracket arms. The decoration between the front eaves' gold columns consists of four-panel six-fold partitioned doors. The inner back wall of the hall still retains about 20 square meters of murals.

The theater stage is the main building in the temple. It was built in the 34th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1695), faces north, and has now collapsed, leaving only the stage foundation and gable walls. Inside the temple are two stone steles: one from the 3rd year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1310) titled “Record of the Construction of Daiyue Temple,” and another from the 29th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1903) titled “Record of the Renovation of Dongyue Temple.”

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Zhongheshui Village: Zhongheshui Village... Detailed information about Zhongheshui Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units