Temple of Bian Que in Muzhou

Temple of Bian Que in Muzhou

The Temple of Bian Que in Muzhou is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Grand Temple of Muzhou, also known as the Temple of Bian Que, is a cultural tourism site. It is located 15 kilometers north of Renqiu City in Hebei Province. The temple faces south and neighbors Baiyangdian Lake. The current structure was built in 1992. It includes the main Three Sovereigns Hall, the eastern Medicine King Temple (later called the Temple of Bian Que), and the western Wenchang Temple. The whole complex is surrounded by a red wall about 2.5 meters high. The temple measures approximately 350 meters from north to south and 450 meters from east to west, covering a total area of over 157,000 square meters, nearly 230 acres, plus an additional 400-plus acres of incense fields.

On the southern side of the temple’s enclosing wall stand three grand mountain gates. Each gate has three archways, all constructed from brick and stone. The arches have no beams and feature a cauldron-like, inverted shape, commonly referred to as “pot-bottom arches.” Each gate is inscribed with a long horizontal stone plaque at the top, engraved with the name of the corresponding temple, prefixed with the characters “Imperially Commissioned.” The gates are tall, magnificent, and elegant, presenting a spectacular sight from afar.

The Grand Temple of Muzhou is large in scale, featuring red walls and yellow tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, colorful eaves and corridors—all blending harmoniously. The structure is rigorous and unified, exuding solemnity and simplicity.

Regarding the founding date of the temple, according to the “Renqiu County Annals”: “The Temple of Bian Que was built by Yerxen Qishimirei, a Darughachi of the Yuan Dynasty.” Initially, it was only a very small shrine to Bian Que. During the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, Renqiu magistrates Zhou You and Wang Qi renovated it. It was rebuilt by imperial order during the Tianqi era. Further records from the “Imperially Commissioned Tablet for Rebuilding the Muzhou Medicine King Temple” and the “Tablet for the Imperially Built Three Sovereigns Hall” indicate that the Medicine King Temple originated in earlier dynasties (Yuan Dynasty), and its reconstruction occurred in the 12th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1584 AD), starting in March and completing in May. The addition of the Three Sovereigns Hall began on the 10th day of the 8th month in the 19th year of Wanli (1591 AD), and after two years, it was completed on the 10th day of the 10th month in the 21st year of Wanli (1593 AD). Later, Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun (Wanli) also decreed the establishment of the Muzhou Temple Fair.

As for the construction of the Temple of Bian Que, apart from the above records, there is another version. Historical texts and the “Renqiu County Annals” state: Bian Que, whose surname was Qin and given name Yueren, was a native of Muzhou in Bohai Commandery. In his youth, he studied under Changsang Jun and is regarded as the founder of pulse diagnosis in China. He possessed extraordinary medical skills, even the ability to revive the dead, and established the diagnostic methods of “inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and palpation.” He authored eighty-one chapters of the “Classic of Difficult Issues.” While traveling among the states, he was killed out of jealousy by Li Xi, the imperial physician of the Qin State, after treating Duke Wu of Qin. The locals, in memory of Bian Que, built a cenotaph for him in Muzhou—a round mound several zhang high, covering over an acre. In the Yuan Dynasty, the Temple of Bian Que was erected in front of the mound, but it was destroyed by fire during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty and later rebuilt through public fundraising. Another account from the “Records of the Capital Region” says: When Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty (Qianlong) suffered from a lingering illness with no improvement, Princess Hejing of the Jiguo Commandery recommended Xu Xi, a local physician from Bohai, to treat him. Xu intended to needle the emperor’s heart, but Qianlong, fearing for his life, had a servant tested first before allowing the procedure on himself. He recovered quickly. In reward, Qianlong honored Xu Xi, who, after expressing gratitude, bowed southward. When asked why, Xu replied: “My needle technique comes from the Eighty-One Chapters of Bian Que’s Classic of Difficult Issues. How could I forget my roots? Now that the Temple of Bian Que has been burnt down, I hope Your Majesty will rebuild it.” Upon approval, Qianlong allocated funds for its reconstruction.

After its completion, the Grand Temple of Muzhou gradually flourished and became nationally renowned. There was once a saying: “Of all great temples under heaven, none surpasses Muzhou.” This continued until around 1928, when Renqiu County Magistrate Shao Hongji advocated for “removing the statues, abolishing private schools, and establishing modern schools.” As a result, the temple statues were taken down. However, at the request of local residents, only the statue of Bian Que was retained. In 1932, Han Fuju, a warlord from Shandong, restored the temple statues as a vow fulfilled following his mother’s recovery. Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the main structure of the temple was demolished, leaving only the three mountain gates, which have since also disappeared. Later, through extensive research, the “Imperially Commissioned Tablet for Rebuilding the Muzhou Medicine King Temple” and the “Tablet Record of the Imperially Built Three Sovereigns Hall” were rediscovered, providing evidence for the study of the origins of the Muzhou Temple.