Dayang Tangdi Temple (Dayang Tangdi Temple) (Dayang Tangdi Temple) (Listed in the Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units) Period: Yuan to Qing Dynasties Address: West Street, Dayang Town, Zezhou County The founding date is unknown. According to *Shan You Shi Ke Cong Bian*, “The Tangdi Hall of Dayang was built by our ancestor Liu in the fifth year of Qiande (967).” The existing structures date from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods. The Tangdi Temple faces south and has a two-courtyard layout...
The Moon Emerges from Jade Mountain Jade Mountain, also known as Horn Mountain, features two towering peaks standing opposite each other, majestic and lush, resembling a pair of emeralds inlaid in the Taihang Mountains. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival every August, if you stand in the Moon-Admiring Pavilion inside the Qinglian Temple at the mountain’s base, you can watch a huge full moon suddenly rise between the twin peaks of Jade Mountain. The silvery moonlight spills over the surrounding mountains, forests, waters, and rocks like liquid silver...
Xuanquan Temple, located in Shangsitou Village, about 3.5 kilometers northwest of Xiacun Town, was built during the Tang Dynasty according to county records and has been renovated in various dynasties. It was destroyed in the 1960s. The temple currently houses a stone pagoda from the Later Han Dynasty of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, inscribed with the "Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra" and dating back to the first year of Qianyou (948 AD), as well as a statue stele from the Chongning era of the Northern Song Dynasty, and a stele commemorating the renovation of the Xuanquan Temple Buddha Hall in the fourth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty, all of which hold significant historical and cultural value. Local legend says that there used to be an ancient "Gufo Temple" on Panlong Mountain to the north of the temple, which housed ancient stone Buddha statues, indicating the long-standing Buddhist culture in the Shangsitou Village area. At its peak, the temple had 108 monks and owned over 300 mu of land. The remains of a large rice milling facility known as "Nian Gedà" in front of the temple reflect its once grand scale. In 2009, the Party branch and village committee of Shangsitou Village invested over 600,000 yuan to renovate Xuanquan Temple, collecting, organizing, and preserving a large number of historical and cultural relics. The “Wulong Temple” on Panlong Mountain to the north of the village was also restored.
Tailingtou Dai Temple Era: Jin and Qing dynasties This temple is located in Tailingtou Village, Beiyicheng Township, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. It faces south with its back to the north. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but it was renovated during the Dading era (1161–1189) of the Jin Dynasty. In May 2013, Tailingtou Dai Temple was designated as part of the seventh group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. …
Era: Jin to Qing dynasties This temple is located east of Xidun Village, Gaodu Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng. It was built during the transition between the (Northern) Song and Jin dynasties. The temple houses two restoration steles, one from the 28th year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1188) and another from the 43rd year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1778).
Era: Jin to Qing Dynasties Yinxidongyue Temple is located in Yinxicun Village, Beiyicheng Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. It was established in the fifth year of the Mingchang era during the Jin Dynasty (1194). The entire complex consists of upper and lower courtyards, integrating architectural elements from the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The main hall is square-shaped, spanning three bays in width and six rafters in depth. The front eaves columns of the hall…
Jingde Temple is located in Gaodu Village, Gaodu Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng. It faces south and measures 80 meters from north to south and 42.2 meters from east to west, covering an area of 3,376 square meters. Jingde Temple sits north-facing south in the center of Gaodu Village, stretching 80 meters from north to south and 42.2 meters from east to west, with a total area of 3,376 square meters. The temple features a two-courtyard layout.…
Hedian Chengtang Temple is located in the center of Hedian Village, Dadonggou Town, Zezhou County. Its exact date of construction is unknown, but the earliest surviving inscription records a renovation in the first year of Daguan during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. It underwent multiple restorations during the Ming and Qing dynasties, eventually taking on its present form. The temple faces south and consists of a single-courtyard layout, with the main gate opening to the south. The overall plan is neat and orderly. The entire temple complex is built upon a high platform constructed from massive...
Era: Qing Dynasty Address: Fucheng Village, Jin Town, 10 km north of Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. The Temple of Guan Yu in Fucheng Village is located in Fucheng Village, Jin Town, 10 km north of Zezhou County, situated on Qinggang Hill to the east of the village. It comprises a vast complex of upper, lower, outer, middle, and front courtyards, covering dozens of acres. Along the central axis are, in sequence, the mountain gate, theater stage...
Period: Ming to Qing Address: Pingshang Village, Zhoucun Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province Tangdi Temple in Pingshang is located east of Pingshang Village, Zhoucun Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. The exact time of its initial construction is unknown. It faces south and currently consists of a single-courtyard layout. According to an inscription under the beam inside the main hall, renovations were carried out in the 14th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1501). The main hall and incense pavilion are structures from the Ming Dynasty. The...
Period: Yuan to Qing Xue Zhuang Jade Emperor Temple is located in the northwest of Xue Zhuang Village, Gaodu Town, Zezhou County. It faces south with a single-courtyard layout, measuring 35.8 meters from north to south and 22.2 meters from east to west, covering an area of 795 square meters. The exact time of its initial construction is unknown, but based on its current condition, the existing main hall is believed to be a relic from the Yuan Dynasty, while the other structures exhibit Qing Dynasty architectural styles. …
Era: Yuan to Qing Dynasty Address: Shuidong Cui Fu Jun Temple, located on Beijie Street, Shuidong Village, Jinshan Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. The exact date of its initial construction is unknown. According to the “Stele for the Reconstruction of Qisheng Guangyou King Temple” inside the temple and inscriptions on the eaves pillars of the main hall, it was renovated in the 30th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1293), the 4th year of the Dade era (1300), and the 21st year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1593)...
Name: Shicun Dongyue Temple (Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units) Era: Yuan to Qing Dynasties Type: Ancient Architecture Address: Shicun, Xiazhen Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province Introduction: Shicun Dongyue Temple is located in Shicun, Xiazhen Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City. It faces south and covers an area of 1,163 square meters. The exact date of its establishment is unknown, and no inscribed steles have been found. According to inscriptions under the beams of the main hall...
Period: Yuan to Qing dynasties. The temple is located in ChuanDi Village, about twenty kilometers west of Zezhou City, Jincheng, Shanxi Province. It currently consists of a small, enclosed courtyard. The main hall is the oldest structure, while the side halls date from the Qing Dynasty. No valuable founding steles or inscriptions have been left in this Buddhist hall. Based on its architectural style, the main hall is inferred to be a Jin Dynasty structure. The main hall is three bays wide and four bays deep...
The valuable cultural heritage of Dongsiyi Village is extremely precious. Well-preserved sites include the “Pine Shed Temple,” “Shenglin Nunnery,” “Chastity Memorial Archway,” and “Shi Family Courtyard.” There is also the over 200-year-old former site of Siyi Opera, the ancient stage “Wule Tower” from the late Ming Dynasty, the most representative “Dragon King Temple,” and the “Golden Rooster Platform,” where legend says a phoenix once alighted...
Xiaozhai Catholic Church is the largest European-style ancient fortress building in Shanxi Province, also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. It serves as the site of the Catholic church in Zezhou County. The church was built on a single massive rock and constructed in 1914 by the Dutch. The entire structure is in Gothic style, with the church and surrounding buildings integrated seamlessly, and features exterior walls over two zhang high...
Jingde Temple in GaoDu Village, GaoDu Town, Zezhou County, was once known as one of the "Four Famous Ancient Temples of Old Zezhou," along with Biluo Temple, Xianqing Temple, and Songlin Temple. Historical records indicate that Jingde Temple was established during the Tang Dynasty. However, in the 1950s, this ancient temple, renowned across a hundred li around GaoDu Town, was repurposed as a state granary for grain storage. At that time, people covered the structure with bricks and tiles…
Dànánshè Tǔdìshén Cí (Fifth Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site) Era: Jin Dynasty, Qing Dynasty Address: North of Dànánshè Village, Gāodū Town, Zézhōu County, Jìnchéng City The Dànánshè Tǔdìshén Cí is located to the north of Dànánshè Village, Gāodū Town, Zézhōu County. It faces south and consists of a single-courtyard layout. The temple measures 39 meters from north to south and 23 meters from east to west, covering an area of 897 square meters. The exact date of its establishment is unknown, …
Xisiyi Pujue Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Era: Yuan to Qing Dynasties Address: Xisiyi Village, Bagong Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City Xisiyi Pujue Temple, according to the stone tablet from the 14th year of the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty (1834) preserved within the temple and physical evidence, was originally built in the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (742). It underwent renovations across various dynasties, eventually taking on its current form. …
Nestled at the foot of the Taihang Mountains in Zezhou County, Shanxi Province, lies the ancient town of Dayang, which boasts a history of over 2,600 years. Historically known as Yang’a, Dayang was established as a county by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, continued as such under the Han Dynasty who also enfeoffed nobles here, and was designated as a commandery during the Western Yan Dynasty. For more than 800 years, it served as the seat of a county, a noble fiefdom, and a commandery. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Dayang produced a multitude of officials...