Shrine of the Loyal Maiden on Shuishen Mountain

Shrine of the Loyal Maiden on Shuishen Mountain

The Shrine of the Loyal Maiden on Shuishen Mountain is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Shuishen Mountain, also known as Loyal Maiden Mountain, is located about 5 kilometers northeast of Yuan County’s county town, at an elevation of 1,200 meters. Surrounded by three peaks, the mountain features undulating ridges and lush pine and cypress trees. Midway up the mountain stands a temple—the Shrine of the Loyal Maiden, also called the “Shrine of the Holy Mother,” locally referred to as the “Grandma Temple.” Legend has it that after Zhao Kuangyin’s Chenqiao Mutiny, Princess Chai Hua, the daughter of Chai Rong, the last emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty, fled the chaos with her maidservants and took refuge in this mountain. Facing the collapse of her kingdom and unable to reverse her fate, she was overcome with grief and fury, and hanged herself from a jujube tree on the mountain. To commemorate her loyalty and chastity, later generations built a temple in her honor. Regarding this legend, the Guangxu 7th Year edition of the “Yuan County Annals,” under the section “Art and Literature—Debates on Shuishen,” records: “Shuishen Mountain is also called Loyal Maiden Mountain. The temple enshrines the Holy Mother Chai Hua, commonly believed to be the daughter of Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou. She was known for her chastity and refused to marry. Passing through this mountain, she became a deity. The old records speak of her chastity and deification, which seems plausible.” The exact date of the shrine’s initial construction is uncertain, but historical documents, including a poem titled “Visiting the Shrine of the Loyal Maiden” by the Yuanzhou Prefect during the Jin Dynasty, suggest that the temple was built no later than the Jin Dynasty. It underwent renovations during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, eventually taking on its current form. Shuishen Mountain is overgrown with shrubs, and in spring and summer, colorful wildflowers bloom and the grass is lush and green. In autumn, the mountain is covered in red foliage, creating a picturesque scene. The Shrine of the Loyal Maiden is situated halfway up Shuishen Mountain. The entire architectural complex is built along the mountainside and cliffs, rising from low to high, with winding paths and staggered levels. Starting from the mountain foot and climbing the stone steps, you’ll reach the end of the path where a cliff is inscribed with a poem by Wang Yuchang, the county magistrate during the Republic of China era: “Ahead lies another realm; turn and climb the cloud ladder.” After a winding path, you’ll encounter a stone memorial archway inscribed with the words “Fairyland on Earth.” Further ahead is the mountain gate, simple and elegant rather than extravagant, with a red plaque featuring blue patterns that reads “Rui Zhu Gong” (Palace of the Pearl), dated the seventh month of the second year of the Xianfeng reign. Entering the mountain gate, you’ll find a shrine at the location of the screen wall, housing a deity, with a stone stele on each side. Turning left leads you into the main temple area. From low to high, the first thing you see is a flight of eighty-one stone steps. To the left of the steps are side rooms, and to the right are stele rooms. Climbing the steps, you’ll enter the main hall courtyard. In front of the main hall is the Hall of the Horse King, with bell and drum towers on either side, and a Daoist monastery attached to the north. The main hall consists of three rooms, is seven meters deep, and stands on a platform about three meters high. The hall is spacious, with a flush-gable roof, and fine glazed ridge ornaments. Inside the hall, beams and columns are carved and painted, and the walls on both sides feature murals depicting landscapes, figures, dragons, and phoenixes. The brushwork is fluid, the colors vivid, and the murals are well-preserved.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shanxi Province