Temple of Holy Mother Yi Ji

Temple of Holy Mother Yi Ji

The Temple of Holy Mother Yi Ji is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Temple of Holy Mother Yi Ji (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: Yuan to Qing

Address: 50 meters southeast of Heshan Village, Heshun County, at the foot of Wolonggang

The Temple of Holy Mother Yi Ji is located at Wolonggang, 50 meters southeast of Heshan Village, Pingsong Township, Heshun County, Shanxi Province, China. It was listed as part of the Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units in 2006.

The Temple of Holy Mother Yi Ji was first built during the Song Dynasty, and was renovated in the first year of the Yuansi era (1321) and the fourth year of the Zhiyuan era (1338) of the Yuan Dynasty. The temple is built against a mountain, facing south, and consists of an upper courtyard, a lower courtyard, and the Shrine of the Marquis of Xianze, covering a total area of 8,400 square meters. The upper courtyard includes the Hall of the Holy Mother, the Offering Hall, the Hall of the Goddess of Eyesight, the Hall of Smallpox and Measles, the Hall of the White Dragon, and the Hall of the Medicine King. The lower courtyard contains a memorial archway, the mountain gate, a theater stage, east and west corridor rooms, and a meditation courtyard. The Shrine of the Marquis of Xianze includes the Hall of the Great King, the Hall of the Insect King, the Hall of the King of Hell, the Hall of the God of Wealth, the Temple of the Earth God, and the mountain gate. Among these, the Hall of the Holy Mother is a Yuan Dynasty structure, while the others are from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Hall of the Holy Mother is three bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. Its brackets feature a complex system of interlocking wooden elements, and the structure is characterized by refined craftsmanship, reflecting the architectural style of later dynasties.

According to the inscription on the renovation stele: “Built during the Song Dynasty, it survived the ravages of war and fire between the Song and Jin periods.” It was renovated during the Yuan Dynasty and has been repaired in subsequent dynasties. The temple faces south and is divided into upper and lower courtyards. Along the central axis are a wooden memorial archway, the mountain gate, a music tower, and the Hall of the Holy Mother. On both sides of the mountain gate and theater stage in the lower courtyard are bell and drum towers, the Temple of the Spirit Official, east and west meditation courtyards, and corridor rooms. The upper courtyard features east and west side halls, the Hall of Smallpox and Measles, and the Hall of the Goddess of Eyesight, with the “Shrine of the Marquis of Xianze” located at the southeast corner. The total area is 3,000 square meters.

The Hall of the Holy Mother is the main structure of the temple, measuring three bays in width and depth, with a square floor plan and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The bracket sets are intricately arranged, and the eaves extend gracefully. The building exhibits refined construction techniques characteristic of later dynasties.

The Shrine of the Marquis of Xianze is adjacent to the Temple of the Holy Mother, commonly known as the “Great King Temple.” Its founding date is unknown. Covering an area of about 400 square meters, it faces south and is built against the mountain as a small enclosed courtyard. The main hall is three bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. In front of the shrine is a spring known as the “Heshan Wonder Spring,” which was once one of the ten scenic spots of Heshun.

There are eight stone tablets in the temple recording renovation events from the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units