Beijing Yaowang Temple

　　Destination Introduction The Yaowang Temple is located on Dongxiaoshi Street in Chongwen District. It covers an area of over 20 acres. Originally built during the Tianqi era of the late Ming Dynasty by Marquis Wuqing. As there were many Yaowang Temples in Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties, this one, situated north of the Temple of Heaven in the outer city, is also known as the South Yaowang Temple. It is larger in scale than the other Yaowang Temples.

　　The main structures of the temple are divided into eastern and western sections. The western part follows a traditional temple layout: the mountain gate bears the inscription “Imperially Commissioned Yaowang Temple.” Originally, there were two large iron lions in front of the gate, and a pair of tall flagpoles stood inside. From the twelfth lunar month to the end of the first lunar month each year, large red lanterns hung from the flagpoles, and behind them were the time-keeping bell and drum towers.

　　The eastern structures are arranged along a north-south axis. Parallel to and aligned with the mountain gate is a row of street-front wing rooms. Facing these rooms, the first hall is the Lu Zu Hall, dedicated to Lü Dongbin—one of the Eight Immortals. Behind it are the Wenchang Hall and the Zhenwu Hall. Behind the Zhenwu Hall is a theater stage, and north of the stage is the Yaowang Sleeping Palace, which enshrines the Medicine King and the Ten Famous Physicians. To its west is a small auxiliary hall dedicated to the God of Wealth, Zhao Gongming.

　　At the end is a two-story wooden building with seven and a half rooms on each floor. The upper floor enshrines dozens of deities such as the Eastern King, the Sun God, the God of Mount Tai, the Kitchen God, and the Five Northern and Southern Patriarchs—most of them carved from wood or cast in bronze. The lower floor stores items and miscellaneous objects used for worship. To the east are seven or eight small courtyards, mostly used as living quarters for temple staff.

　　Most of the eastern temple buildings have been demolished. In the western section, apart from the mountain gate, the main three-story halls and auxiliary chambers remain largely intact to this day. It is a key cultural relic protected by Chongwen District.

　　Location: Located on Dongxiaoshi Street in Chongwen District

　　Area: Over 20 acres

　　The South Yaowang Temple has three main halls. The first hall is the Yaowang Hall, with a width of three bays, and three-bay auxiliary halls on the east and west sides. The main hall enshrines statues of Fuxi, Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor, as well as the Medicine Sage Sun Simiao and the Medicine King Wei Zizang. On both sides of the main hall stand the Ten Famous Physicians. The east auxiliary hall is dedicated to the Horse King and the Dragon King, while the west auxiliary hall is dedicated to the Matchmaker. The second hall’s main hall and auxiliary rooms share the same architectural style and scale as the first hall. The main hall is the Jade Emperor Hall, enshrining the Jade Emperor, with the Four Heavenly Kings standing on the east side and weapons displayed on the west. The east auxiliary hall is dedicated to the Goddess Doumu, and the west auxiliary hall enshrines the Nine Holy Mothers. The third hall is the Three Pure Ones Hall, with a width of five bays, enshrining the Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, and Taiqing Taishang Laojun in the center. On both sides are enshrined more than ten other deities revered in Taoism. Flanking the Three Pure Ones Hall are auxiliary halls, and in the courtyard, there are over 30 stone steles on the east and west sides, inscribed with dedications and records from notable figures during the construction of the major halls—though these no longer exist today. Directly west of the Three Pure Ones Hall, and aligned with it, is a two-story small building. The lower floor is the Guan Yu Hall, and the upper floor is the Tang Minghuang Hall.

　　 Beijing Chongwen District