Datong Chaoyang Palace

Datong Chaoyang Palace

Datong Chaoyang Palace is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Chaoyang Palace (Fifth Batch of Provincial Protected Sites)

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: No. 22 Chaoyang Temple Street, Chengqu District, Datong City

Chaoyang Palace faces west and is situated eastward. It is 24 meters long from east to west and 27 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of 648 square meters. The layout consists of a two-courtyard complex, with the central axis featuring a mountain gate, passageway hall, and main hall, flanked by side halls on the east and west. Bell and drum towers are built on either side of the mountain gate. Chaoyang Palace was originally built during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1488–1505), and the existing structures date back to the Qing Dynasty. Originally a Buddhist temple, it was later converted into a Taoist monastery and served as a place for Taoist activities. In 1942, it was taken over by Taoist nun Zhang Yuan Ying, who renamed it Chaoyang Palace. During the Cultural Revolution, it was occupied by a local street factory. In the 1980s, it was handed over to religious authorities and came under the stewardship of Master Hao Minggao.

The main hall has two stories, with a width of three bays and a depth of five rafters. The front features a single-step beam paired with a rear five-rafter beam, using three columns along the full span of the eaves. The front bay serves as an open corridor. It has a single-eave, flush-gable roof covered with barrel-shaped clay tiles. The central bay features four paneled doors with six panels each, while the side bays have windows.

The passageway hall is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a five-rafter beam spanning the full depth and using two columns. It has a single-eave, flush-gable roof covered with barrel-shaped clay tiles.

The central bays on both the front and rear eaves feature four paneled doors with six panels each. The side bays on the front eave have windows. Inside the passageway hall, statues of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Goddess of Sight are enshrined; these statues are newly created.

The mountain gate is built of brick and stone in an arched structure, with no additional description provided.

The Taoist compound of Chaoyang Palace retains a relatively complete layout of Taoist architectural design. Despite the passage of time, it largely preserves its original appearance and stands as one of the representative ancient Taoist architectural sites in the region. The main hall features a front-corridor structure, showcasing ingenious design and serving as physical evidence for the study of local craftsmanship and artistry of the time. It also provides valuable insight into the religious activities, socio-economic conditions, public life, and folk culture of the Qing Dynasty in the area.

In 2016, Datong Chaoyang Palace was included in the Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites in Shanxi Province.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites in Shanxi Province