Main Hall of Sanxing Temple in Xiguan

Main Hall of Sanxing Temple in Xiguan

The Main Hall of Sanxing Temple in Xiguan is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Sanxing Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Jin Dynasty

Location: Within the government compound of Yu County, Yangquan City

The temple faces south and its founding date is unknown. Only the main hall from the Jin Dynasty remains. Originally used as a township government auditorium, an inscription on the tubular tiles indicates that the main hall was renovated in the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932).

The main hall is five bays wide and eight rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof featuring glazed tile edging and regular tile roofing. The beam framework consists of front and rear double arches connected by a second-grade bracket set, using genuine timber throughout. Original wooden components are largely preserved, with secondary structures also largely intact. The spacious interior of the main hall adopts two structural approaches at the rear bay: reducing and shifting columns. The use of double-tiered inner beams to connect the central bay columns and pendant lotus columns, along with the use of downward ang (cantilever brackets) in the bracket sets, all reflect the architectural achievements of this region during the Jin Dynasty, possessing significant cultural relics research value. The rational composition of the double forked arms and double supporting feet in the main hall’s beam framework can be seen, from an engineering mechanics perspective, as a highly stable trapezoidal framework, demonstrating considerable scientific value. The ink paintings and images of coiling dragons in the main hall are vividly realistic, with clear and vibrant coloring, exhibiting high artistic value.

The bracket sets on the front eaves’ column tops are five-component single-tiered with single ang and single downward cantilever, featuring complex bracket arms. The inward-facing set has a single upward cantilever, while the outward-facing set is a single tier with five components. The second bay features a complex bracket set, its lower ang angling upward to support the eave purlin, and extending to the ends where it connects to the corner rafter. The third bay similarly has a complex bracket set, with its lower ang extending to the rafter ends. On the 45-degree diagonal lines between the two bays, diagonal ang components emerge. Corresponding positions house downward cantilevers that extend further, while their upper sections feature more complex brackets. On the second level of the central bay, there is a bracket post, above which is an upward cantilever, below which is a complex bracket. The upper section is a simple bracket post, the lower section features decorative carvings, and the central area includes cloud-and-dragon motifs.

Sanxing Temple served as a cultural vessel related to the people, beliefs, and history of this region. The floor plan of the main hall employs both column-reduction and column-shifting techniques, using double inner beams to connect the central bay columns and pendant lotus columns. The use of downward ang in the bracket sets reflects the architectural accomplishments of this region during the Jin Dynasty, holding extremely high cultural relics research value. The rational construction of the double forked arms and double supporting feet in the main hall’s beam framework can be viewed, mechanically, as a highly stable trapezoidal structure, demonstrating significant scientific merit. The ink paintings and depictions of dragons in the main hall are strikingly lifelike, with bright, distinct colors, showcasing considerable artistic value.

The main hall of Sanxing Temple largely retains the architectural style of the Jin Dynasty. It is a relatively intact wooden structure predating the Yuan Dynasty, with structural features characteristic of its era. The construction is rational, and both the main cultural relic building and its affiliated relics maintain good authenticity and integrity.

On October 7, 2019, the Main Hall of Sanxing Temple in Xiguan was included in the Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units