Longmu Temple in Beisong Village

Longmu Temple in Beisong Village

Longmu Temple in Beisong Village is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Longmu Temple in Beisong Village (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Beisong Village, Gudian Town, Nanshan District, Datong City

The exact founding date of Longmu Temple in Beisong Village is unknown. The temple faces south and has a single-courtyard layout. Currently, only the Main Hall and Xuantian Hall are preserved structures from the Qing Dynasty. The temple houses Qing-era murals covering an area of 118.5 square meters. The remaining buildings were newly constructed by villagers. The main...

The Main Hall is three bays wide and five rafters deep, with a six-rafter front porch and a single-eave, flush-gable roof covered with barrel tiles. The central and side bays each have four-panel lattice doors. The three-bay Main Hall is divided by a brick structure under the central bay’s beam frame: the central bay serves as the Longmu Hall, with murals of the Dragon Mother and the Four Dragon Kings painted on the rear eaves and side walls. The eastern side bay is the Guan Yu Hall, featuring a mural of Guan Yu on the rear wall and scenes from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms — such as “Guan Yu’s Solo Visit,” “Mercy at Huarong,” and “Capture of Wang Zhong” — painted on the side walls. The western side bay is the Three Sovereigns Hall, with murals of Emperors Yao, Shun, and Yu on the rear wall, and processional and return palace scenes on the side walls. The total mural area is 105 square meters.

The Xuantian Hall is one bay wide and two rafters deep, with a single-eave, flush-gable roof covered with barrel tiles. The side and rear walls are all painted with murals covering a total area of 13.5 square meters.

Longmu Temple in Beisong Village currently preserves one stone stele: Tablet top: “Everlasting Glory” Inscription header: “Brief Introduction to the Construction of Longmu Temple” Erected in the 11th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Great Qing (1806).

The architectural beams and frames of Longmu Temple in Beisong Village are well-preserved. Among them, the most valuable are the Qing Dynasty murals. The mural designs are vividly lifelike, with an elegant and subdued style, smooth lines, and strong brushwork.

In 2016, Longmu Temple in Beisong Village was included in the Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shanxi Province.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Gudian Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Nanshan District, Datong City. Established as Gudian Commune in 1958 and became a town in 1984. Located in the northeastern part of the district, it is 40 kilometers from the district government. It covers an area of 83.2 square kilometers with a population of 9,000. The Beijing-Baotou Railway and National Highway 208 pass through the town. The town administers ten village committees: Gudian, Beisong Village, Shengshuigou, Mazhan, Beiyangfang, Shandi, Gushan, Beiyyujian, Yingzigou, and Zhaojiayao. The main agricultural products are corn and millet, along with green onions. ... More detailed information about Gudian Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shanxi Province