Temple of Tailedai and the Miraculous Tripod Stone

Temple of Tailedai and the Miraculous Tripod Stone

The Temple of Tailedai and the Miraculous Tripod Stone are cultural tourism attractions.

The Temple of Tailedai, also known as the Ancestral Temple of Marquis Changning, is located about 500 meters north of Dinghe Village in Shijiazhuang Town, 60 kilometers southwest of Ningwu County. According to inscriptions on the steles, the temple was built in the eighth year of the Taihe era during the Jin Dynasty (1208), and was renovated during the Yongle and Zhengde periods of the Ming Dynasty. The existing main structure, the main hall, is a Ming Dynasty building. It faces south, is three bays wide, and two bays deep, with a flush gable roof. It features five-tiered brackets with double downward extensions, and the central bay includes diagonal brackets and dragon-shaped carved block terminals. The courtyard is shaded by ancient pines, giving it an antique charm. Inside the hall is a pavilion enshrining the statue of Marquis Changning (Tailedai), who is depicted in dignified attire with a solemn expression, and is largely well preserved. In 1981, local residents voluntarily raised funds to renovate the hall and the stage.

The Miraculous Tripod Stone is located at the western foot of Laozi Mountain and is said to have been Tailedai’s command platform. This stone stands on a slope of about 40 degrees, surrounded by green grass, wildflowers, and ancient cypresses. With the verdant Guancen Mountains behind it and the deep Fen River valley before it, the view is truly spectacular. The grayish-brown sandstone has endured wind, snow, dew, and rain for thousands of years and still stands firmly. The massive rock is about 3 meters high and 2 meters wide, yet it rests on smooth stone slabs at the edge of a steep cliff, supported by two small stones no larger than one square foot. The gap between these supports is wide enough for three people to squeeze through. If one person pushes it, the stone moves slightly; if three people push, it remains unmoved. But if a group of fifteen or twenty strong men push together, the huge stone will sway slightly but won’t budge an inch.

The steep cliff where the Miraculous Tripod Stone stands is a single piece of shale. On its approximately 6-meter-high rock face are carved four bold, powerful characters: “Purple Frontier Great Wall.” Each character is rectangular, measuring 1.3 meters in length, and was inscribed in the seventh year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1512) by Zhang Fengyi, the military defense commissioner of Ningwu Pass. This is known as a “cliff inscription.”