Taizhou Chenghuang Temple

　　Taizhou Chenghuang Temple, also called Yimiao, is the largest and most well-preserved Chenghuang Temple in Jiangsu Province, and the biggest Taoist temple in the Taizhou area.

　　It was first built during the Tang Dynasty and underwent five renovations since the Northern Song Dynasty.

　　The entire structure faces south and has a total north-south length of 124.47 meters, covering an area of over 5,300 square meters. Outside the main gate, there are screen walls on both sides, and the layout is centered along the north-south axis, consisting of three sections: the Mountain Gate Hall, the Trial Hall, and the Main Hall. The Mountain Gate Hall and Trial Hall each have five bays, the Main Hall has ten bays, along with twenty-four offices spanning thirty bays, and twenty-two rooms for local temples, administrative offices, and the Earth God Shrine, totaling seventy-two rooms. Among these, the Mountain Gate Hall, Trial Hall, and twenty-four offices are Ming Dynasty structures, while the Main Hall is from the early Qing Dynasty. Each section connects to a courtyard flanked by symmetrical side rooms on both sides, naturally forming a traditional Chinese courtyard complex.

　　The architectural style and scale of Taizhou Chenghuang Temple resemble those of the old Taizhou government office. The first section, the Mountain Gate Hall, has three square gates. On the east and west sides inside the hall stand statues of horse gods facing the gates, while flagpoles and a screen wall are erected to the south of the street. The second section is the Four Heavenly Officials Hall, housing statues of the four celestial officers. On either side of the hall are five-bay side rooms, serving as the “Praise Hall,” “Office Rooms,” and “Earth God Shrine.” The third section, the Trial Hall, contains a sandalwood judicial bench inside, and a brick memorial archway is built along the front corridor, flanked by about seven or eight rooms on each side for administrative use. The fourth section is the Main Hall, where a theater stage once stood in the courtyard opposite the hall. On each side are fifteen-bay side rooms for the twenty-four offices under the Chenghuang’s command. The Main Hall is the principal shrine, housing the statue of Taizhou Chenghuang, depicted with a golden face, a five-beard mustache, and a gentle demeanor. He wears a jade belt, black boots, a bejeweled crown, and an embroidered red robe. In front of the seated Chenghuang statue is a long ritual table with incense burners and candlesticks. On the east and west sides inside the hall are statues of the civil and military judges, with a bell and drum in the southeast corner. At the center of the front terrace outside the corridor stands a large bronze tripod.

　　In 2006, Taizhou Chenghuang Temple was listed in the sixth group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites by the State Council as a historical building from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

　　Address: No. 22 Yimiao Street, Hailing District, Taizhou City

　　Type: Historic Site / Temple

　　Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

　　Phone: 0523-86612223