Luguzu Wulong Hall

Luguzu Wulong Hall

Luguzu Wulong Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Taiyuan City.

Luguzu Wulong Hall is located in the central part of Luguzu Village, Huangzhai Town, Yangqu County. According to inscriptions on the beams, it was first built in the fourth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1371), and its current main structure consists of buildings from the Ming and Qing periods.

The courtyard faces south and features a two-courtyard layout. It is 35.3 meters long from north to south and 16.6 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of approximately 586 square meters. Along the central axis are the foundations of a stage, an offering hall, and the Wulong Hall. On both sides are the side halls of the first and second courtyards, with an ancient well located in the southeast corner. Within the first courtyard, there are two scattered stone steles and several column bases.

Stage Ruins: Located at the southernmost end of the central axis, the stage has collapsed. Only the pressure-edge stones remain to indicate its original location.

Offering Hall: The hall is three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave flush-gable roof. The interior has additional support columns added later to prop up the beam frame. During the period when the school occupied the site, the exterior of the offering hall was modified, a suspended ceiling was added inside, and the front and rear eave finishes were completely altered.

Wulong Hall: Wulong Hall is built on a brick platform about 0.8 meters high. The front eaves are finished with pressure-edge stones, and a stepped stone path is set at the central bay of the front eaves. The hall is three bays wide and five rafters deep, with a six-rafter front-porch style beam frame. It has a single-eave overhanging gable roof and a roof covered with cylindrical and flat tiles. This is a structure remaining from the Ming Dynasty.

The decorative elements have been modified in later periods and moved between the front eave columns. Below the front eave columns are bell-shaped column bases, with tapering column shafts and noticeable entasis. The column tops feature three-curved single-knob bracket sets. On the upper beam of the front eaves is an inscription reading: “Constructed starting in the year 1371 and completed in the 19th year of the Chenghua era (1483)…”

Side Halls of the First Courtyard (East and West): Each is one bay wide and five rafters deep, with a single-eave flush-gable barrel-vaulted roof. The decorations are located along the front eaves. The central bay has a window flanked by a door, while the side bays have lattice windows.

Side Halls of the Second Courtyard (East and West): Each is four bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave flush-gable roof and a roof covered with cylindrical tiles, featuring gray earthenware ridge ornaments. The doors and windows have been modified.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Taiyuan City