Jiulongquan Shennong Shrine

　　The Shennong Shrine is situated in Yujia Village on the southern bank of the Wei River in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, approximately 5 kilometers north of the city center. It was constructed to honor Emperor Yan, or Shennong. The main hall enshrines a statue of Shennong; there are side halls to the east and west, as well as auxiliary structures such as a bell pavilion and a Kui Xing Pavilion. Outside the shrine lies the Jiulong Spring.

　　Legend has it that Shennong was born in Mengyu Valley by the Jiang River, and his mother was from the Jiang clan. He grew up in Wayu Valley and was known for his saintly virtue. He taught people how to make farming tools, cultivate the five grains, taste hundreds of herbs, and use them to treat illnesses. According to the "Tongzhi Sanhuang Ji" (Comprehensive Records of the Three Sovereigns), Shennong tried every medicinal plant himself to discover cures, encountering seventy poisons in a single day. Another tale says that during his herb-tasting endeavors, he died and revived one hundred times a day, identifying three hundred and sixty medicinal substances. Ultimately, he died from consuming the "intestinal-severing herb" on Lotus Mountain in Tiantai, Qinling Mountains. After his death, Shennong was buried southwest of Ling County, Hunan Province. It is said that his tomb was discovered when Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty ascended the throne.