Liulin Yuxu Palace

Liulin Yuxu Palace

Liulin Yuxu Palace is a cultural heritage site protected by Shanxi Province.

Yuxu Palace is situated about one li outside Liulin County town, on the mountainside of Bao'ning Mountain in Qinglongcheng. The original construction date is unclear, but the current buildings primarily date from the Ming Dynasty (five structures remain). The palace faces north and is built along the contours of the mountain, with terraced levels and surrounded by dense cypress forests. It is encircled by the 40-li-long Diaoqi River, faces the ancient Xiangyan Temple across the water, complementing each other beautifully, and is enclosed by remnants of the later Ming Dynasty city wall, with Bao'ning Mountain serving as its natural backdrop.

The temple complex includes architectural features such as a seventy-two-step path leading to the mountain gate, the Xuan Tian Hall, the Guanyin Hall, the Medicine King Hall, the Goddess Hall, and the Hall of the Mother and Wet Nurse. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, incense-burning ceremonies are held here, making it one of the major Taoist activity sites in the county.

As the ancients said: “The beauty of a mountain lies in its trees; the strength of a mountain lies in its rocks.” The area around the palace is covered with thriving cypress trees, offering a serene environment where birds sing in the quiet mountains, and the halls shine brilliantly. The main structure, the “Xuan Tian Hall,” houses a wooden carved shrine containing a Ming Dynasty statue of the True Warrior Deity. The hall’s roof is adorned with glazed ridge ornaments, and the circular dragon screen wall in front of the hall both date back to the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. These features showcase exquisite craftsmanship and intricate design, holding significant historical and artistic value. The site covers an area of over 40,000 square meters. (In July 1984, the Liulin County People's Government designated it as a key cultural relic protection unit of Liulin County. On June 14, 2004, it was announced as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Shanxi Province.)

Phone: 0358-4010432

Address: Liulin County, Lüliang City, Shanxi Province

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units