Wuxiang Zhenru Temple

　　   Zhenru Temple is situated in Shihé Village, Hanbei Township, approximately 40 kilometers east of Wuxiang County, Shanxi Province. It was established in the third year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1323). Additions and renovations were carried out during the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty, as well as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty.

　　   The temple complex faces south and consists of two courtyards. Along the central axis are the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Middle Main Hall (commonly called the South Hall), and the Rear Main Hall. Bell and drum towers are positioned on either side of the Hall of Heavenly Kings, with matching side halls and corridors on the left and right, totaling over thirty rooms. The Hall of Heavenly Kings, the bell and drum towers, and the corridors and side halls of the front courtyard collapsed in the early years of the Republic of China, but the main surviving structures remain intact. The Rear Hall is built on a high platform within the temple complex, featuring a five-bay width and five-rafter depth. Its beams and frames were constructed from roughly processed raw materials, making it a remnant of the Yuan Dynasty. The columns and bracket sets display smoothly rounded curves, while the interior beams use large substitute beams. The choice of materials and construction techniques…

　　   Wuxiang Zhenru Temple

　　   Wuxiang Zhenru Temple

　　   also reflect the continued use of Song Dynasty craftsmanship methods based on their structure and form. The side halls use four pillars, and the interior is fully exposed to the rafters. The beams are adorned with painted patterns. The front eaves feature five-tiered bracket sets with double downward-facing cantilevers, and the middle and side bays include 45-degree angled brackets. No intercolumnar bracket sets are present. The hipped-roof hall features gray ridges and ornaments, with tubular and flat tiles used for roofing, and has a relatively gentle roof pitch. The South Hall is centrally located, with a five-bay width and six-rafter depth, topped with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. Each of the four sides is equipped with three-tiered bracket sets and single downward-facing cantilevers, and intercolumnar bracket sets are installed in the middle and side bays of the front and rear eaves. The corner bracket sets feature angled cantilevers, with the “playful head” designed in the style of a cantilever, connected by paired interlocking bracket arms.