Huozhou Prefecture Office

Huozhou Prefecture Office

The main existing structures of the Huozhou Prefecture Office include the main gate, ceremonial gate, passageway, memorial archway, admonition stone pavilion, main hall, second hall, inner residence, Jingyi Pavilion, and West Judicial Offices. The main hall is the largest building in the complex, built during the Yuan Dynasty, and served as the site for trials. It is fully equipped with a judicial desk, drums, and signs reading "Silence" and "Avoid." Most notably, housed behind the hall is the "Ruru Wood," a two-meter-long, dark-colored wooden rod made from an ancient local tree species that has survived for a thousand years. It also serves as the symbol of the Huozhou Prefecture Office.

The ceremonial gate of the prefecture office was the passage used by the prefect. The left gate, called the "Absolute Gate," was used by prisoners sentenced to death, while the servants of the office typically used the right gate, known as the "Joy Gate," for daily access.

Located on East Street in Huozhou City, it was first built during the Sui and Tang dynasties and has a history of over 1,300 years. It is one of the more intact ancient government offices still in existence in China.

Ticket/Opening Hours: 50 RMB

Linfen City, Shanxi Province