Tianzhen Jade Emperor Pavilion

Tianzhen Jade Emperor Pavilion

The Tianzhen Jade Emperor Pavilion is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jade Emperor Pavilion

Xinping Fort is located at the northernmost point of both Shanxi Province and Tianzhen County, bordering Hebei to the east and Inner Mongolia to the west and north — an area known as where “a rooster’s crow can be heard in three provinces.” The Ming Great Wall runs along the west and north sides of the fort, making it a strategic pass between the Xuanfu and Datong garrisons during the Ming Dynasty, as well as a frequent site of southern incursions and battles by Mongolian nomadic troops. As a result, in the 25th year of the Jiajing reign (1546), a earthen fort was built and garrisoned. It served as the seat of the Xinping Road.

As early as the Qin, Han, and Northern Wei dynasties, Xinping Fort had the Yanling City and Qicheng built here. During the Ming Dynasty, it connected eastward with Xiyanghe Fort of Xuanhua Prefecture and southward with Wayukou Fort of the eastern route of Datong Garrison, making it an extremely critical location. In the 6th year of the Longqing reign (1572), the fort city was rebuilt with brick cladding and featured an East Gate and a North Gate. The North Gate was named Zhenlu Gate, and the East Gate was called Ying’en Gate. The city wall was 3 li in circumference and 3 zhang high. According to the Ming Dynasty text *San Yun Chou Zu Kao*, the inner fort housed the office of the regional commander, the office of the garrison commander, one regional commander of the Xinping Road, one garrison commander of Xinping Fort, seven officers including the central army commander, the battalion commander, and the company commander, as well as 1,309 troops of the reinforcement battalion, 589 horses and mules, 589 troops of the home battalion, and 58 horses and mules. It routinely stored 530 stones of grain and 18,254 bundles of hay. At that time, according to *Du Shi Fang Yu Ji Yao*, Xinping Fort guarded 18 li of the Great Wall, 27 border beacon towers, and 16 fire beacon towers. The regional commander oversaw five forts: Xinping, Baoping, Pingyuan, Pingding, and Huamen. By the Qing Dynasty, its strategic importance remained undiminished, still serving as the seat of the Xinping Road, with offices for the regional commander and garrison commander, and a garrison of 302 troops including cavalry, infantry, and defenders, along with 90 horses.

In the 30th year of the Jiajing reign (1551), in March, Xinping Fort opened a horse market to trade tea, cloth, and other goods with the Tatar nomadic tribes of Mongolia. However, it was halted in November of the same year. In the 4th year of the Longqing reign (1570), in September of the lunar calendar, trade resumed at Mashikou, about 1 li west of Xinping Fort, with the Mongolian tribe led by Anda, who was titled Prince of Shunyi. The herders traded cattle, horses, hides, gold, and silver with Ming merchants for cloth, tea, and silk. The Ming court also purchased horses and mules from them for military use.

Xinping Fort was both a military garrison and a significant hub for border trade, enjoying considerable prosperity.

In the 21st year of the Wanli reign (1593), the Jade Emperor Pavilion was constructed in the center of Xinping Fort — the very same pavilion that stands here today. It is a typical Ming Dynasty structure: a square, three-story, double-eaved pavilion with a hip-and-gable roof, spanning three bays in width and depth. The bracket sets feature single intercolumnar brackets, while the main and hip ridges are adorned with glazed carvings. The base consists of a stone foundation with a brick-vaulted cross-shaped passage, surrounded by brick railings. The upper level has a wooden balustraded viewing platform, with corridors on both levels.

This is the tallest building in Xinping Fort and its most iconic structure. It was renovated in the 27th year of the Kangxi reign (1688), the 47th year of the Qianlong reign (1782), and the 8th year of the Guangxu reign (1882) during the Qing Dynasty, all while preserving the original architectural style and components. In 1966, during the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the statues and murals inside the pavilion were destroyed. In 1992, the provincial government invested 10,000 yuan for restoration. Later, He Rui, the then Party Secretary of Tianzhen County, inscribed a plaque reading “Daijun Yanning” (literally “Yanling of Dai Commandery”), which was hung on the southern wall of the upper level.

The upper level of the Jade Emperor Pavilion originally housed a bronze statue of the Jade Emperor, rumored to have a golden core. The lower level featured a clay statue of the Jade Emperor, with murals of various deities painted on the east and west walls.

The Jade Emperor Pavilion is not only the sole surviving representative building of the Ming Dynasty frontier fortress in Xinping Fort but also the only remaining structure among the county’s seven Ming-era Jade Emperor, Heavenly King, or Dakui Pavilions. During the Ming and Qing periods, Xinping Fort was home to over 20 temples, monasteries, shrines, and memorial halls, encompassing Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, as well as Ming-era merit shrines and even White Lotus Sect (Mingjiao) worship sites. It stands as one of the key towns embodying frontier culture and also boasts over 400 years of trade history with northern ethnic minorities, making it a cultural melting pot of Central Plains and northern ethnic traditions. The Jade Emperor Pavilion is a living witness to this history.

Address: Xinpingpu Town, Tianzhen County, Datong City, Shanxi Province