Temple of the God of Literature

　　The Temple of the God of Literature is one of the Five Altars and Eight Temples of Beijing, located in Mao’er Hutong in the northern part of the city, also known as the Temple of Wenchang and Zitong. The Wenchang Palace, also called the Wenchang Temple, honors the God of Wenchang—a deity combining the celestial Wenchang Star and the Zitong Emperor, both of whom are revered in Taoism as patrons of academic and official success. In 1316, during the Yuan Dynasty under Emperor Renzong (Yan you third year), the two were merged into the “Divine Lord of Wenchang Who Aids Culture and Promotes Learning, Bestows Official Rank, and Spreads Benevolence,” hence the name Wenchang Emperor. The Wenchang Temple was built during the reign of Yuan Emperor Shundi (Zhizheng era) and underwent major renovations in the sixth year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1801). The temple complex includes a mountain gate, bell and drum towers, the Kuiguang Hall, the Guixiang Hall (dedicated to the God of Wenchang), an imperial stele pavilion, as well as halls dedicated to Guan Yu, the God of Wealth, and the Goddess of Mercy, totaling 89 rooms and halls of various sizes. The temple held seasonal sacrifices twice a year (spring on the third day of the second lunar month, believed to be the birthday of the God of Wenchang, and autumn), with ceremonial scale similar to that of the Temple of Guan Yu. Originally tended only by Taoist priests, the temple later came under the management of Buddhist monks, specifically from the Huayan School (also known as the Xianshou School). After the Xinhai Revolution, sacrificial activities ceased. The front section of the former temple site now houses Mao’er Hutong Primary School.