Jiexiu Chenghuang Temple

Jiexiu Chenghuang Temple

Jiexiu Chenghuang Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Ming to Qing

Address: No. 275, Dongda Street, Beiguan Subdistrict, Jiexiu City, Shanxi Province

Jiexiu Chenghuang Temple is located at No. 275, Dongda Street, Beiguan Subdistrict, Jiexiu City. It faces south and has a single-courtyard layout. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but according to temple steles, it underwent renovations in the eighth year of the Hongzhi era (1495), the sixth year of the Longqing era (1572) of the Ming Dynasty, and various points during the Qing Dynasty. It covers an area of 3,415 square meters.

The central axis of the Chenghuang Temple runs from south to north, featuring a theater stage and the main hall in sequence, with a bell tower, drum tower, side halls, and wing rooms on both sides. The existing main hall is a structure remaining from the Ming Dynasty, while the rest are Qing Dynasty buildings. The theater stage is built on a brick foundation that is 1.35 meters high, with a five-bay width and five-rafter depth. It has a single-eave, rolled-canopy, flush-gable roof. The front section features a hip-and-gable roofed porch extending from the middle and side bays. It uses three-step, single-rising bracket sets, and the front eaves columns are all round and slender, supporting the roof through brackets. The side halls are well-proportioned, with distinctive roofs and colored paintings. The roof ridges are decorated with exquisite tile ornaments. In front of the main hall is a performance platform used for traditional opera shows, surrounded by wooden railings. Thirty inscribed stone tablets from the Ming and Qing dynasties are preserved on the premises.

The main sections of Jiexiu Chenghuang Temple retain relatively complete layouts. The main hall is grand and of a relatively high architectural rank, with documented evidence of renovation history. It stands as an important example of ancient wooden architecture.

In May 2013, Jiexiu Chenghuang Temple was announced as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units