Xingshan Temple and Zoujialou

Xingshan Temple and Zoujialou

Xingshan Temple and Zoujialou are protected cultural heritage sites under Hebei Province.

The Xingshan Temple Buddhist Hall and Zoujialou are located in Yabei Village, about 30 kilometers north of Quyang County.

The Xingshan Temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty, with major renovations to the Buddhist Hall during the Yuan Dynasty and subsequent repairs in later dynasties. The Buddhist Hall is a single-eave suspended gable roof structure with glazed tiles, spanning three bays in width and two in depth, covering a floor area of 150 square meters. It features a seven-rafter beam system paired with double-step beams, colorful double downward-curved bracket sets, and lattice windows on the front eaves. In 1999, local fundraising efforts led to a major restoration of the Buddhist Hall.

Zoujialou was initially built during the Ming Dynasty and actually functions as a theatrical stage for the temple. It is located to the south of the Buddhist Hall, standing on an 1.8-meter-high platform, and consists of two parts. The rear section is a single-eave flush gable roof with rolled eaves covered in plain tiles, while the front section is a double-eave hip-and-gable roof with rolled eaves. Both sections are three bays wide (10.2 meters) and 9.45 meters deep. The front section uses four stone pillars inscribed with couplets. In April 2003, Zoujialou underwent maintenance.

In February 2001, this site was listed as a cultural heritage protected site under Hebei Province. The protected area is delineated by the outer edge of the temple’s Buddhist Hall foundation, extending 30 meters north, west, and south, and 20 meters east. The construction control zone extends 40 meters north, 10 meters west, 20 meters east, and 20 meters south from the boundary of the protected area.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Heritage Protected Sites