Fugui Temple in Yuxian County

Fugui Temple in Yuxian County

Fugui Temple in Yuxian County is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Fugui Temple is located at the northern foot of the main peak of Wanhuashan Mountain in Yuxian County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province. It consists of two cave-style shrine rooms. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but according to an inscription on the crossbeam of the main hall, it was renovated in the second year of the Yuan Dynasty's Yanyou era (1315 AD). It underwent multiple repairs during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The temple faces south and has a two-courtyard layout. In front of the mountain gate, there is a raised platform, with symmetrical stone steps on both sides, making for a rare and unique architectural style. The site covers an area of 936 square meters. In front of the central axis lies a platform of over 100 square meters, with three side rooms on each side. The mountain gate is centrally positioned, spanning three bays, with a depth of six rafters, and features a double-eave hip-and-gable roof with three layers. The central bay of the gate has a Qing Dynasty bluestone door frame. The second floor extends out with a balcony railing, supported by double-tiered bracket sets with five tiers of construction. The roof bracket sets consist of single-tiered with single downward cantilevers, where the first jump is designed without a connecting member, and the cantilever is a genuine bamboo-leaf shaped one. The beam structure follows techniques from the Jin Dynasty. On either side of the gate are side doors, exquisitely carved and very ornate. Inside the temple is a reverse-facing opera stage, built for performing plays during deity worship. The main hall spans five bays and has a flush-gable roof. In front of the hall is a rolled shed-style worship pavilion, flanked by side halls and wing rooms, as well as east and west corridors and meditation courtyards. Judging by the layout, there should be a rear hall, though for some reason, no trace of it remains today.

Within the temple courtyard stand two ancient cypress trees and two clumps of peonies, forming a symmetrical pattern. To the west is an old stele inscribed with a poem by Li Shou, the prefect of Yanzhou during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1488–1505), about visiting Peony Mountain. Due to faded lettering, a new replica of the original stele has been erected to the east for visitors to admire. On the plaster walls of the two shrine rooms, one is painted with the story of the Fairy Sister descending to earth, while the other depicts the visit of the great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu to Wanhuashan Mountain. The paintings are fresh and lively, with vividly rendered figures.

In May 2006, Fugui Temple, as an ancient building from the Yuan to Qing periods, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units