Tianzhen Temple

Tianzhen Temple

Tianzhen Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tianzhen Temple

Tianzhen Temple (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: Ming to Qing Dynasties

Address: Fengshan, north of Lishi District

Commonly known as Fengshan Taoist Monastery. Originally built during the Song Dynasty to enshrine Chen Xiyi, a Taoist master of the Song Dynasty, and his disciple, the Ming Dynasty Taoist priest Sun Yunji. It was destroyed by fire during the Yuan Dynasty and underwent major repairs and expansions during the Hongwu, Xuande, and Jingtai reigns of the Ming Dynasty. The monastery is divided into upper and lower sections, with buildings constructed along the mountain terrain. The main existing structures include the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the Hall of Sun Zhenren, the Reading Tower, the Hall of Chen Tuan, the Jade Emperor Tower of Huangbao Altar, the Hall of Thunder God, and the Hall of the Three Officials. Auxiliary structures include the Temple of the God of Wealth, the Temple of the Earth God, the Temple of the Five Roads, and the Stone Archway.

The Hall of Chen Tuan, also known as the White Cloud Cave, is one of the main buildings of the monastery. It has three bays in width and two in depth, with a single-eave hanging hip roof. Inside the hall, there are murals covering over 30 square meters titled “Illustrations of the Miraculous Responses from Constructing Temples on Mount Wudang,” dating back to the 11th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1413).

The Tianzhen Temple scenic area is also known as Fengshan Taoist Monastery, commonly called Upper Fengshan. It is located on Sanyang Yunfeng Mountain, north of Lishi City. It was a famous Taoist monastery within the ancient Shizhou region. Originally built during the Western Han Dynasty and rebuilt during the Yuan Dynasty, it was later destroyed in war. It was reconstructed in the first year of the Jingtai reign of the Ming Dynasty (1450), with construction taking six years to complete. Legend has it that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once passed this mountain while seeking immortality. During the Ming Dynasty, the Taoist priest Sun Yunji lived in seclusion on Fengshan for 50 years, dedicating his life to the construction of the monastery. Existing stone inscriptions serve as evidence.

The existing buildings retain traces and architectural features from expansions and renovations across various dynasties. It is currently a county-level cultural relics protection unit.

The Taoist architectural complex is built along the mountain, situated on the mountainside with a high vantage point. Facing south and backed by the north, the layout is spacious and the divine realm is expansive. The complex follows the contours of the mountain and is divided into three parts: the upper courtyard, the lower courtyard, and the outer courtyard. At the center of the lower courtyard stands the Wangshen Tower, with the Hall of Thunder God and the Hall of the Three Officials to the east, and the Hall of Xiyi and the Ancestral Hall to the west.

The Wangshen Tower, also known as the Lingxu Tower, is located at the center of the lower courtyard. It has two levels, with a square floor plan, and is a fully wooden structure with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. Four internal pillars reach to the ceiling, supporting the entire weight of the tower, surrounded by 12 visible columns. Though not very tall, the tower gives the impression of soaring into the clouds when viewed from afar, showcasing a distinctive style. The upper level is the Hall of the Jade Emperor, where the main statue enshrined is that of the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor’s full title is “The Supreme Jade Emperor of the Golden Cavern of the Vast Heaven, the Naturally Marvelous and Boundless True Lord of the Infinite Reality.” Also called “The Lofty Jade Emperor of the Highest Heaven,” he is commonly referred to as the “Jade Emperor.” According to the *Jade Emperor's Original Deeds Sutra*, the Jade Emperor was originally a prince of the Kingdom of Yanmiao, who renounced his throne to cultivate Daoism on Pushan Xiangyan Mountain, assisting the nation and saving the people, guiding all beings. After undergoing 3,200 tribulations, he attained the status of Golden Immortal, known as the Pure and Natural Awakening King Buddha. After another billion tribulations, he became the Jade Emperor. Legend holds that he is the highest deity governing the Dao of Heaven, akin to an emperor on earth. Additionally, according to the *History of Song · Treatise on Rites VII*, in the eighth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu reign (1015) of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, “the sacred title of the Jade Emperor was proclaimed as the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Vast Heaven, Holding the Seal, Governing the Calendars, Embodying the True Dao, and Enlightening All Beings.” In the sixth year of the Zhenghe reign (1116) of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, the title was further proclaimed as “The Supreme Jade Emperor of the Vast Heaven, Holding the Seal, Governing the Calendars, Embodying the True Dao, and Enlightening All Beings.”

The lower level is the Hall of the Spirit Official, enshrining the Heavenly Marshal of the Fire Palace (i.e., the Divine Official Wang), one of the guardians revered in Taoism. Divine Official Wang, originally named Wang Shan and of common birth during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (1100–1125), was originally a fortune-teller who learned talismanic arts from the Sichuanese sage Sa Shoujian. He was a disciple of Lin Lingzhu. Later, he was appointed by the Jade Emperor as the “Primordial Marshal,” tasked with overseeing justice between heaven and earth. During the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424), he was honored as the “True Lord of Lofty Grace,” and the “Heavenly Gods Temple” was commissioned in his name. In the Xuande reign (1426–1435), it was renamed the Fire Virtue Temple, where a statue of Divine Official Wang was erected—red-faced, with three eyes, clad in armor and wielding a whip—as the guardian of the mountain gate.

The Hall of Thunder God, also known as the Hall of the Thunderclap Universal Lord, has a flush-gable roof, three bays in width (9.8 meters long), and five purlins and three rafters in depth (7.2 meters). The bracket sets under the eaves are intact, giving the structure an imposing overall appearance. The hall enshrines five statues, including that of Thunder God, which are sculpted in a relatively rough style and were recently recreated based on originals. Thunder God, also called the Thunder Deity or Thunder Master, is the deity governing thunder in ancient mythology. *The Classic of Mountains and Seas · Eastern Sea Within* states: “In the Thunder Pool lives the Thunder God, with a dragon’s body and a human head, who beats his belly.”

To the east lies the Hall of the Three Officials, facing west, with three cave chambers below and a three-bay hanging-hip roof structure above. It is 10.20 meters wide and 5.50 meters deep, with five purlins and three rafters. The hall enshrines the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official. The Heavenly Official, born on the Upper Yuan Day, bestows blessings upon the human world; the Earthly Official, born on the Middle Yuan Day, pardons sins; and the Water Official, born on the Lower Yuan Day, eliminates disasters and misfortunes.

The Hall of Xiyi, also called the White Cloud Cave, is located to the west of the Lower Yuan. It was specifically built to enshrine the patriarch Chen Tuan and is the main hall of the monastery. It is a hanging-hip roof wooden structure, three bays wide (10.50 meters) and 9.20 meters deep, with five purlins and four rafters. The bracket sets under the eaves are intricately carved by artisans.

The upper courtyard houses the Reading Tower, the Hall of Sun Zhenren, the Hall of Jiang Zhenren, the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, and the Taoist Lodging. The Reading Tower is five bays wide and served as the lecture hall of the Fengshan Academy. During the Ming Dynasty, Confucian scholar Kong Tianyin of Fenyang County, along with many students from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, studied here in pursuit of scholarly success. It is a hard-hip roof wooden hall structure, facing north and situated above the Ancestral Hall of the lower courtyard. To the north is the Hall of Sun Zhenren, a single-cave chamber enshrining a standing statue of the Taoist priest Sun Yunji. To the east is the Taoist Lodging, and to the west is the Hall of Jiang Zhenren.

The Hall of the Three Pure Ones is located on the western side of the upper courtyard and is a fully wooden hanging-hip roof structure. The hall enshrines the Primordial Celestial Worthy, the Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy, and the Moral Celestial Worthy. The roof overhangs on both sides, adorned with tube ridges featuring floral patterns, and the ends are decorated with dragon-and-son beast spouts. It is three bays wide (10.50 meters) and 8.8 meters deep, with far-reaching eaves, square brackets, curved arches, and diagonal braces in four arrangements. These elements interweave vertically and horizontally, layering upon each other, not only reinforcing the connection between columns, beams, purlins, and rafters but also supporting the full weight of the roof layer by layer. They also offer strong decorative appeal and artistic effect, making the building appear even more grand and majestic, robust and imposing. It can be described as “a thousand brackets shining brilliantly, myriad arches towering in layers.”

The outer courtyard originally housed the Temple of the Northern Peak and the Temple of the Yuan Heavenly Sacred Mother, which no longer exist. The Temple of Guan Yu and the Temple of the Earth God still remain. Outside the mountain gate, stone steps built in the 1980s (funded by over 500,000 yuan from the People’s Government) connect to the foot of the mountain. Meanwhile, Fengshan Park has been established at the mountaintop, featuring six antique-style structures. The Monument to People’s Writer Li Shu and the Monument to Education in the Lüliang Region, both located atop Fengshan, have become scenic highlights of Lishi City. From the summit of Fengshan, the ancient city of Lishi embraced by three mountains and encircled by two rivers can be fully appreciated.

Phone: 0358-8231149

Fax: 0358-8221639

Address: Lishi District, Lüliang City, Shanxi Province

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units