Temple of the Celestial City God

　　Highlights:       Since ancient times, city god temples have been built within cities, but the Temple of the Celestial City God is situated on Tianzi Ridge, a mountain 25 kilometers southeast of Changzhi County. This lone peak stands majestically and commands a view for hundreds of miles.      Introduction:       The Temple of the Celestial City God is located on Tianzi Ridge, a mountain 25 kilometers southeast of Changzhi County, facing south. It is a complete single-courtyard quadrangle, oriented north to south. There are 108 steep sandstone steps leading from the foot of the mountain to the temple front. Within the courtyard, buildings such as the mountain gate, theater stage, offering pavilion, and main hall are sequentially built on three terraced platforms. The mountain gate and theater stage are combined, with the stage positioned at the back and wing rooms facing each other. The offering pavilion has a three-bay wide, curved roof, while the main hall is three bays wide and six rafters deep, with intricately carved beams and columns depicting vivid flowers, birds, insects, fish, warriors, knights, and characters from theatrical stories. The Temple of the Celestial City God is now a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.

　　    Legend: It is said that there was originally only a small mountain god temple on Tianzi Ridge. Legend has it that when Wang Mang usurped the throne and pursued Liu Xiu, he chased him all the way to Tianzi Ridge. By then, Liu Xiu was parched and exhausted, unable to flee further. Seeing the pursuers approaching, in desperation, he ran toward the mountain god temple. The temple was dilapidated, and its entrance was completely covered by a thick spider web. In a panic, Liu Xiu dashed through it, leaving a large hole in the web. After entering the temple and noticing the broken web, he sighed, “When Wang Mang arrives and sees the broken web, he’ll surely think I’m inside — I won’t stand a chance!” Thinking this, he knelt down before the shrine and prayed, “Deity of the Mountain, if you can mend the web and save my life, one day when Liu Xiu ascends the throne again, I will appoint you as the ‘Celestial City God’!” No sooner had he spoken than the spider web had already mended itself, covering the door even more tightly. Before long, the menacing Wang Mang arrived with his troops, but seeing no trace of Liu Xiu, he intended to search the temple. Spotting the intact spider web sealing the entrance, he quickly gave up and pursued Liu Xiu elsewhere. Later, when Liu Xiu ascended the throne, he indeed appointed this site as the “Temple of the Celestial City God,” rebuilt the temple, and personally inscribed its plaque. Tianzi Ridge thus came to be known as “City God Ridge.” To this day, the five large characters “Temple of the Celestial City God” on the temple’s horizontal plaque can still be faintly seen.

　　 Changzhi City, Shanxi Province