Guiding Chenghuang Temple

Guiding Chenghuang Temple

Guiding Chenghuang Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guizhou Province.

Located within the county town of Guiding, the temple was built in honor of the “Chenghuang,” or City God. The Chenghuang is regarded as the deity who protects the city. As recorded in the Book of Northern Qi · Biography of Murong Yan: “There was originally a shrine in the city, commonly known as the Chenghuang God, to which both public and private prayers were offered.” It was first built in the 25th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1392), covering an area of over 10,000 square meters. In the 26th year of the Kangxi reign (1687), after the county seat of Guiding was moved from its former location to the present site, the city walls were expanded, and the Chenghuang Temple was enlarged with the addition of a mountain gate, side rooms, wing rooms, the main hall, and the second hall. After a fire in the 10th year of the Jiaqing reign (1805), the temple was rebuilt. In the 20th year of the Daoguang reign (1840), twelve Yama Halls of the Netherworld, eighteen levels of Hell, and a seven-story pagoda were added. Later, the pagoda was destroyed by fire, and the twelve Yama Halls, the eighteen levels of Hell, and the mountain gate were also successively demolished.

The Guiding Chenghuang Temple is a post-and-lintel wooden structure with flush gable roofs and green-tiled roofing. It faces west and is laid out as a courtyard complex. Existing structures include the front hall, side rooms, wing rooms, and the main hall. Ten steps lead up to the mountain gate. The front hall is 3.3 meters deep, with 9-meter-wide side rooms on either side of the passageway. The courtyard is paved with stone slabs and covers an area of over 200 square meters. Flanking the courtyard are wing rooms that are 14.5 meters wide and 3 meters deep. The main hall is 16.6 meters wide and 14.7 meters deep, with three bays. The front porch is fitted with a wooden railing carved with bamboo joint patterns, giving it a classic, rustic appearance. The hall uses large timbers, and its beam-frame structure remains well-preserved.

On December 21, 1999, it was approved and announced as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the People’s Government of Guizhou Province.