Xugou Chenghuang Temple and Confucius Temple

Xugou Chenghuang Temple and Confucius Temple

Xugou Chenghuang Temple and Confucius Temple are protected cultural heritage sites of Shanxi Province.

Xugou Chenghuang Temple and Confucius Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial Protected Sites)

Era: Ming and Qing Dynasties

Address: Xugou Town, Qingxu County, Taiyuan City

The Chenghuang Temple was first built during the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1161–1189), was flooded in the early Ming Dynasty, and was reconstructed during the Jingtai era (1450–1456). In the 12th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1673), apart from the stage, the buildings were destroyed by fire and then rebuilt. The temple covers an area of about 3,500 square meters. It faces south and has a three-courtyard layout. Along the central axis are the stage (with a mountain gate below), the main hall, and the bedroom palace, flanked by a bell tower, drum tower, and side halls. The stage was built during the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1465–1487), also known as Qiyun Tower. It faces north, covers a construction area of 71 square meters, and has a three-bay mountain gate at the base with a passage in the middle. The upper part is square-shaped, three bays wide and three bays deep, with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The front section features a connected single-eave curved roof spanning one bay.

The Confucius Temple was originally built during the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1161–1189) and was renovated in the 3rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1370). It covers an area of about 4,600 square meters. The temple faces south and has a single-courtyard layout. Along the central axis are the Lingxing Gate, Jimen (Weapon Gate), and Dacheng Hall, flanked by wing rooms and corridors. The Lingxing Gate has a single-eave hanging gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. The Dacheng Hall is a Ming Dynasty structure, five bays wide and six rafters deep, with a single-eave hanging gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. It features a seven-rafter front-corridor framework, with bracket sets on both the front and rear eaves...

The Chenghuang Temple and Confucius Temple are separated by just one wall.

The Chenghuang Temple and Confucius Temple are large in scale and uniquely laid out. Structures such as the Qixia Tower, Kuixing Tower, Dacheng Hall, passageway halls, and side halls retain their original architectural forms from when they were built. With a long history, their existence reflects the religious beliefs and spiritual pursuits of the local people at the time. Their overall layout and the structural styles of the individual buildings demonstrate the construction standards of local temple architecture during that period, giving them significant historical value.

Xugou Town: Xugou Town is a well-known ancient town in Shanxi, and the second-largest town in the county after the county seat. It was once established as a county during the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty. In 1952, it merged with Qingyuan County to form Qingxu County. The current town covers a total area of 83.85 square kilometers, governs 28 administrative villages, and has a population of 41,000. The town area consists of seven neighborhood blocks, covering 4 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 15,000.

The town area is 35 kilometers from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. Major provincial transportation routes such as Dayun Road, Xutai Road, Qingyu Road, and Xiaoyang Road connect the urban area, running north-south and east-west, ensuring convenient transportation.

A town with a long history... More details about Xugou Town++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units