Wanrong Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Feiyun Building Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The First Great Tower of China This wooden tower can reach the clouds
"There is a Feiyun Tower in Wanrong that half sticks into the sky." This wooden, pavilion-style building is so tall. When the weather is clear, white clouds wrap around the tower, and the strange pavilion seems to float along with the colorful clouds, hence it is known as the "Feiyun Tower". Also, because it is located in the southeast corner of Jiedian Town, the county seat of Wanrong County, it is also known as the "Jiedian Tower"
Feiyun Tower is exquisitely structured and beautifully shaped, reflecting the development of ancient Chinese wooden architecture. This tall building not only has high aesthetic value but also possesses significant academic and historical value.
Although Feiyun Tower was rebuilt during the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, with only over 250 years of history, it retains architectural features from the Song, Yuan, and Ming periods, with creative advancements and developments. Therefore, from the perspective of studying the development of ancient Chinese architecture, Feiyun Tower is a treasure among China's existing ancient buildings.
The six characters on the plaque of Feiyun Tower, "Great Ancestral Country's Ancient Building", are strikingly eye-catching. Sons and daughters of China are surely moved when they see the "Great Ancestral Country" on China's number one wooden tower!
Feiyun Tower has an exterior of three stories, plus two hidden layers, making it effectively five stories. It has a total height of 23.15 meters. The entire tower has 32 wing corners, with the mountain flowers facing outward, giving it a unique and beautiful shape.
Feiyun Tower is built on a base 0.65 meters high, with a square bottom. From the ground floor through the second and third floors, there are four large wooden columns that reach straight to the top of the tower through the sky wells, with 32 wooden columns cleverly connected in a checkerboard pattern to jointly support the structure.
During the Song and Yuan dynasties, high-rise buildings were constructed layer by layer. Thus, this architectural structure with sky well columns is a development from the Song and Yuan architectural styles.
The tower is made of wood, and all joints, large and small, are mortise and tenon without a single nail. This is quite rare in Chinese pavilion-style architecture.
Feiyun Tower has three stories with four water drips and a cross-shaped hipped roof. Under the eaves of each layer of the embrace structure, there are 345 sets of brackets, with varied shapes, very much resembling clouds surrounding and flowers blooming. The wing corners of each eave are upturned, giving a sense of soaring into the sky.
There are a total of 32 upturned eave corners on the entire tower, and on the tip of each corner stands a warrior in armor, bright and splendid, further highlighting their valiant and majestic appearance. Wind chimes hang at each corner of the tower, swaying in the wind, producing a crisp and pleasant sound.
Don't miss the glazed tiles on the roof of the incense pavilion behind, the details of the chiwen are exquisite.
China's premier wooden tower, the underrated ancient gem of Shanxi
When it comes to ancient famous towers, many people first think of Yueyang Tower, Huanghe Tower, Tengwang Pavilion, Guanque Tower, etc., but few know about the 'China's First Wooden Tower' Feiyun Tower (also known as Jiedian Tower) located in Wannian County, Yuncheng, Shanxi.
Also, as someone with a background in architecture, I have long admired the famous Ying County Wooden Pagoda in the 'southern tower and northern pagoda' of Shanxi, but I knew relatively little about the Wannian Feiyun Tower in the south. However, after a careful visit, one can better appreciate its preciousness!
Historically significant: The exact construction date of Feiyun Tower is unknown. Legend has it that during the second year of Wude in the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin led troops to quell a rebellion. To commemorate the victory, music towers and temples were built in various places. After many wars, only Feiyun Tower still stands in Wannian County. The tower that remains today is also the shape after maintenance during the Qing Dynasty.
Pure wooden structure: The entire tower is made of pure wood, with all joints, big or small, being tenon and rivet connections, shining together with the Ying County Wooden Pagoda, and is known as the 'southern tower and northern pagoda'. The wood surface of the tower is not painted, showing the natural color of the wood. Many wooden columns on-site have protruding iron nails, which are said to have been added later for theft prevention.
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Ingeniously constructed: The tower has a width and depth of five bays each, with a total of 345 sets of brackets, which vary in shape, are exquisite in appearance, with each corner wing tilting upwards, and there are 32 tilting corner wings throughout the tower. At the tip of each corner, there stands an armored warrior, looking into the distance, giving the impression of celestial soldiers and generals soaring through the clouds, truly living up to the name 'Feiyun Tower'.
Uniquely structured: The entire tower has a square floor plan, with three visible stories and five hidden ones, with two hidden layers nestled within the flat base. The ground floor is square, with four central columns each 15.45 meters high reaching the top of the tower (the base of the columns has square grooves, which are said to have been left for ease of rotation during construction due to the massive size of the columns), supporting the structure, and 32 wooden columns around it form a chessboard pattern, ensuring the stability of the tower, standing for a thousand years.
There is a local saying, 'Wannian has a Jiedian Tower, half of which is inserted into the sky,' which shows the shock of the ancients when they first saw the tower! At the same time, because of the tower's exquisite craftsmanship, beyond the capabilities of ordinary people, there is also a legend that the tower was built by Lu Ban. Although this is a hearsay, it also shows the superb craftsmanship and ingenious structure! It is truly a feast for the eyes!
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📍Feiyun Tower is located within Dongyue Temple in Wanrong County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. It is a pure wooden structure and is known as 'China's number one wooden building'.
📍Feiyun Tower stands 23.19 meters tall, densely packed with dougong brackets, and all joints are mortise and tenon connections, intricate and exquisite. It is known as 'the Southern Tower and the Northern Pagoda' together with the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County.
The exterior of Feiyun Tower has three stories, but inside it actually has five floors, with a total height of about 23 meters. The ground floor is square, the middle floor changes to a folded cross shape, surrounded by a corridor, and the roof profile is varied; the third floor returns to a square shape, but the roof resembles the middle floor, topped with a cross-ridge roof. The roofs of each floor make up the rich facade composition of Feiyun Tower.
📍Feiyun Tower is not large in volume, but it has four layers of eaves, 12 triangular roof sides, and 32 roof corners. The wood surfaces are not painted, showing the natural color of the wood.
The dougong bracket shapes and structures of Feiyun Tower are extremely varied, with almost every floor having a different form of upturned eaves and bracket sets.
📍The decorative elements include dragon heads, rolled clouds, grasshopper heads, and single floating clouds, with upturned mouths in the shapes of qin-face and ruyi heads. The angle brackets are decorated with elephant noses and dragon heads, adding a rich decorative interest.
📍Feiyun Tower is a representative building within Dongyue Temple in Jiedian Town, Wanrong County. There is a local saying: 'Wanrong has a Jiedian Tower, half-stuck into the sky'.
✨The exact founding date of Feiyun Tower is unknown, but records indicate that the tower already existed during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan period. The existing structure was rebuilt in the eleventh year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, retaining the architectural style of the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
The four famous towers of China all feel inferior!
"The Number One Wooden Tower in China" is so beautiful yet so low-key, a national treasure that must be seen in this lifetime.
When it comes to the "Four Great Ancient Towers of China," every middle and elementary school student knows them by heart. However, if we set aside their spokespersons and literary works and focus solely on the architecture itself, none of today's "Four Great Ancient Towers of China" are truly deserving of their names anymore.
Fan Zhongyan's Yueyang Tower, which embodies the spirit of 'worrying before the world worries, and enjoying only after the world enjoys,' Cui Hao's Yellow Crane Tower with 'the white clouds drifting freely for a thousand years,' Wang Bo's Pavilion of Prince Teng where 'the setting sun and the solitary wild duck fly together, and the autumn water shares the same color with the sky,' and Wang Zhihuan's Stork Tower, where 'one wishes to see a thousand miles further, and climbs up one level higher,' have all disappeared into the river of history. What we see today, except for the Yueyang Tower built in the late Qing Dynasty that can still be considered an ancient building, the other three towers are all modern constructions of steel and concrete.
In front of the authentic ancient Feiyun Tower in Wanrong County, Shanxi Province, these towers, whether compared in historical age or architectural craftsmanship, are all inferior and not on the same level.
The four famous towers of Shanxi version, the Feiyun Tower of Dongyue Temple in Wanrong, the Qiufeng Tower of Houtu Temple in Wanrong, the Xuanjian Tower of the old city of Yuci, and the Xian Shen Tower of Jiexiu, may not be as well-known due to the lack of endorsement by famous people and works, but they are all genuine ancient wooden structures, representing the superb level of ancient Chinese craftsmen's architectural skills. Each one commands respect.
Located in front of the Dongyue Temple in Wanrong County, Shanxi Province, the Feiyun Tower is a pure wooden structure. Like the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County, it is built from bottom to top without a single nail and is known as "The Number One Wooden Tower in China," alongside the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County, which is referred to as "the southern tower and the northern pagoda."
The predecessor of Wanrong County was Wanquan County and Ronghe County. When the two counties merged, the first characters of their names were combined to form the new Wanrong County, with the county seat set in Jiedian Town. The exact year of the construction of Feiyun Tower is unknown. Because it is located in Jiedian Town, it was originally named Jiedian Tower, and the existing building is of Ming and Qing styles.
Legend has it that in the second year of Wude during the Tang Dynasty (619 AD), the 20-year-old Prince Li Shimin led his army to cross the Yellow River and launched the key battle of 'Baibi Battle' to eliminate the separatist forces of Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang. After the victory, Li Shimin built music towers and temples in the three places where he stationed his troops to showcase his military achievements. Today, only the Feiyun Tower in Wanrong County stands tall in the city of Wanrong.
The Feiyun Tower is 23 meters high, with three visible and five hidden levels, a total of four layers of eaves, 12 triangular roof sides, and 32 roof corners. From all directions, each layer is a beautiful and spectacular Xieshan-style building.
Standing at the base of the tower, one can see the bottom space filled with wooden columns, four spliced columns that reach the top of the tower, ingeniously connected with the surrounding 32 columns in a chessboard pattern. The entire Feiyun Tower is like an inseparable organic whole, solid and stable, with the overall structure largely maintaining its original appearance after construction.
The interior of the tower is densely packed with dougong brackets, exquisite and intricate, with more than 300 sets of dougong brackets encompassing 23 types of forms, yet without a sense of complexity and chaos. Looking at them, they are like clouds surrounding or like flowers blooming, with the eaves and upturned corners resembling birds ready to soar and strike the sky, exquisitely beautiful. No wonder the ancients praised it as 'connecting to the cloud paths above, overlooking the groundless below, with layered eaves and stacked corners, like leather yet as if flying, painted rafters and carved beams, shining in the moon and reflecting the stars'.
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Li Family Courtyard Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Li Family Mansion in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province!
The Li Family Mansion in Wanneng, Yuncheng, Shanxi, was the residence of Li Ziyong, the richest man in southern Shanxi during the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period. It was built during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty and is located in Yanjing Village, Wanneng County. Together with the Qiao Family Courtyard and the Wang Family Courtyard, it is known as one of the 'Three Lotus Seeds of Jin Merchants', with the saying 'Visit the Qiao Family for its fame, the Wang Family for its courtyard, and the Li Family for its virtue'. The overall architecture is a vertical well-style Shanxi courtyard designed for gathering wealth, which also incorporates Huizhou architectural style. As Li Ziyong once studied in England, some of the courtyards feature 'Gothic' architecture. It is a grand Jin merchant's courtyard that blends northern and southern Chinese styles, Chinese and Western elements, and is unparalleled in Shanxi. It encapsulates the profound cultural heritage of the Han nationality and possesses extremely high cultural and artistic value. The brick carvings, stone carvings, and wood carvings inside the mansion are particularly exquisite and worth seeing.
The Li Family Mansion in Wannian, Yuncheng, is a household of great virtue, featuring a courtyard that combines Chinese and Western architectural styles
I'm preparing to check off all the attractions included in the Yuncheng tourism annual pass, and I've already visited most of them. I plan to create a series collection to see which attractions are worth visiting and which are not, how much time it takes to tour each site, and whether there are any additional costs involved. Stay tuned for my updates if you're interested❤️❤️❤️
🧡Touring time is about 2-3 hours
💛Free admission with the tourism annual pass
💙Convenient parking, parking lot 🅿️ charges 10 yuan for cars
💚You can finish the tour in just one morning, and it's definitely worth a visit. The brick carvings and wood carvings inside are exquisite, and the side exhibition hall introduces the charitable deeds and the history of the Li family's rise to wealth.
A few points that made a deep impression on me are:
The screen wall with 365 'goodness' characters, composed of 365 different fonts of the character for 'goodness', forms a grand screen wall that looks very spectacular, truly befitting a family known for its virtue.
The ancient anti-theft door, which is beautifully designed and user-friendly, makes one marvel at the wisdom of the ancients. The door is full of mechanisms, and it feels even more secure than modern security doors.
Mrs. Mai's European-style two-story loft, a feature not found in other Jin merchant mansions, combines Chinese and Western architecture, with southern Shanxi cave dwellings and European Gothic-style gatehouses, creating a unique blend.
The carvings on several gatehouses near the private school, with wood carvings on several layers, each representing different auspicious meanings: good fortune, many sons and blessings, five fortunes coming to the door... Make sure to take a close look at the patterns when you visit, they are very interesting.
Another surprising point is the large area of courtyards at the back, each courtyard actually has small doors connecting to each other!!!
Li Family Mansion - The Home of Good Deeds
The Li Family Mansion was established during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, located in Yanjing Village, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. The existing ancient courtyard complexes cover 11 groups, occupying an area of 125 mu. It is known as one of the 'Three Great Detianlian of Jin Merchants' along with the Qiao Family Mansion and the Wang Family Mansion, and there is a saying that 'Qiao Family is known for its fame, Wang Family for its courtyard, and Li Family for its goodness'.
The overall architecture of the Li Family Mansion's ancient building complex is a typical Shanxi courtyard in the vertical well style, which also incorporates the architectural style of Huizhou. Part of the courtyard is 'Gothic' architecture due to the descendants of the Li family studying in the United Kingdom, highlighting the characteristics of the integration of north and south, and the combination of Chinese and Western styles. Each courtyard, while dignified and splendid, is also highly functional, reflecting the simplicity and hard work of the Li family everywhere.
Upon entering the Li Family Mansion scenic area, the first thing that catches the eye is the 'Path of Goodness' hung with red lanterns inscribed with the character 'Good'. The culture of goodness is evident throughout the Li Family Mansion, and the saying 'A family that accumulates goodness will surely be blessed' is perhaps the main reason why the Li Family Mansion has been able to survive the wars and preserve its integrity to this day.
The most worthwhile ancient building to visit in Shanxi - Li Family Mansion
Li Family Mansion is a courtyard of the wealthy Li family of Jin merchants, which was established during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The entire building is a well-style wealth-gathering Siheyuan, which also incorporates Huizhou architectural style. The brick carvings, stone carvings, wood carvings and iron art decorations of the building vividly reflect the folk cultural characteristics of southern Shanxi. Because the representative of the family, Li Ziyong, once studied in the UK and married a British woman, some of the buildings have incorporated European "Gothic" architectural elements, thus reflecting the artistic characteristics of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. It is a unique flower among the national characteristic dwellings. The Li family is the richest in southern Shanxi, rich but not arrogant, rich but not extravagant, rich but able to help the world. Every time there is a disaster, the Li family can help the victims with all their family wealth, and they are deeply loved by the people because they do good deeds. Generations have successively repaired virtues and done good deeds.
The explanation mainly introduced us to the life experience of Li Ziyong. Li Ziyong, named Daohang, is the core figure of the 15th generation of the Li family with the word "Dao", and one of the main representatives of the Li family. Li Ziyong studied Chinese studies when he was young, and then studied textile in the UK. After returning to China, he took over the family business, founded industries to help the weak and enrich the people, and also founded education and participated in politics. He personally experienced the history of the Li family from prosperity to decline, and also witnessed the development of Chinese national industry and commerce.
I specifically studied that Li Ziyong married five wives in his life,
In 1899, he married Wang, and in 1900, Wang died after giving birth to a daughter. In 1901, he married Dantai, and in 1904, Dantai voluntarily left because she had no offspring. In 1907, Li Ziyong went to study in the UK, and in 1911, he married a British woman, Mai. In 1914, he returned to China with Mai, and in 1918, Mai died. In 1926, Dantai died of illness and he married Hu. In 1946, Hu died of illness, and in 1947, he married Wang. In 1965, Li Ziyong died of illness at the age of 86. This life experience is really rich and full of stories.
What impressed me most about the entire mansion was the courtyard he built for his "foreign daughter-in-law". At that time, everyone else lived in cave dwellings, but he built a new house for Mai and repaired Gothic windows and iron beds. It was true love. There is also a "anti-theft door" with six locks, which is very powerful. The various small mechanisms are really wonderful, and the big characters written on the wall and then erased are also a witness to history.
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Houtu Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The Temple of Earth is the predecessor of the Temple of Heaven, and a poem about the autumn wind tells the story of its past and present lives
She is the crown of temples within the sea, and the source of the Chinese ancestral roots. 4000 years ago, on the banks of the Fen River, the Sweeping Earth Altar was built by the river, and the culture of worship was born. The ancients said, 'The great affairs of the state are in sacrifice and in war.' More than 2000 years later, at the confluence of the Fen and Yellow Rivers, the worship of Hou Tu became institutionalized. The Hou Tu Temple, where people sought their roots and ancestors, prayed for the nation's peace and the people's safety, and for a harmonious world.
Over thousands of years, the Hou Tu Temple, though repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, and now only a fraction of its size during its heyday, still stands as the center of ancestral worship for Chinese people worldwide on the banks of the Yellow River in Wanrong County, Shanxi Province, continuing to tell its own story.
✔️The existing buildings in the Hou Tu Temple include the mountain gate, '品'-shaped stage, offering hall, main hall, east and west Five Tiger Halls, and the Autumn Wind Tower, etc. The architecture is magnificent and the layout is exquisite. Although the scale of the existing Hou Tu Temple is much smaller compared to the Tang and Song dynasties, it is still a vast and splendid ancient temple complex. Moreover, due to its exquisite architectural craftsmanship and dazzling brilliance, it has high historical, cultural, and artistic value.
✔️Additionally, from the Han to the Song dynasty, a total of 9 emperors, including Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Zhenzong of Song, came to the Hou Tu Temple in Wanrong to worship 24 times. As the source of worship culture, the imperial worship undoubtedly indicates that it represents the highest level of worship culture activities and also represents the ancient emperors' recognition of the status of the Hou Tu Temple as 'the crown of temples within the sea'❗️.
Why was the worship later changed to the Temple of Heaven and Earth in Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties? It is said that after Emperor Zhu Di of the Ming dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, he originally wanted to go to the Hou Tu Temple to worship in person, but due to busy state affairs and the long journey, he sent a high official to take soil from here for the sacrificial rites, and built a Hou Tu Temple in Beijing, which is the Temple of Heaven and Earth. Later, the Earth Temple was built, and the Temple of Heaven and Earth was renamed the Temple of Heaven. This is why the Hou Tu Temple, as the 'source of the Temple of Heaven'❗️, can be called a temple, while all other Hou Tu temples in the country are called temples.
It is commonly believed that the association of buildings with poetry began in the Tang dynasty, but in the earlier Han dynasty, a timeless masterpiece gave rise to the Autumn Wind Tower on the banks of the Fen River! 'The autumn wind rises, the white clouds fly, the grass and trees turn yellow, and the geese return south. The orchid is elegant, the chrysanthemum is fragrant, thinking of the beloved one, I cannot forget. Sailing the tower boat on the Fen River, crossing the midstream, raising the white waves. The flute and drum sound, the oarsmen sing, joy reaches its peak, but sorrow is plentiful. How can one resist aging when youth is fleeting'❗️The Autumn Wind Tower is named after Emperor Wu of Han's poem 'The Song of the Autumn Wind', and it stands majestic and beautiful on the banks of the Fen and Yellow Rivers. Inside the Autumn Wind Tower, each floor has a stele of 'The Song of the Autumn Wind', especially the Yuan dynasty stone stele on the third floor, which is the most ancient. Unfortunately, to better protect it, climbing the tower is no longer allowed, which is a pity!
✔️Just as 'The Song of the Autumn Wind' says, 'How can one resist aging when youth is fleeting'! Today, the Hou Tu Temple in Wanrong, Shanxi, has become a place for people from all walks of life in China, as well as compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, to seek their roots and worship Hou Tu. It is also a bond of national unity, connecting the feelings of Chinese people at home and abroad❗️As the source of Chinese ancestral culture, it is increasingly showing its profound historical and cultural connotations.
📍Ronghe Town, Wanrong County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province
🚗Shanxi attractions are scattered, it is recommended to drive or charter a car
💰20 yuan, no reservation required
⏰️8:30-18:00, the tour lasts 2 hours
Houtu Temple
Houtu Temple is a widely worshipped deity in Chinese folk religion, known as the supreme god of the land. Located 40 kilometers southwest of Wanrong County in Shanxi Province, on the banks of the Yellow River near Miaoqian Village to the north, it is the oldest temple in China dedicated to the worship of Houtu (Earth Mother).
In 1996, the State Council designated the Wanrong Houtu Temple as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
The existing Houtu Temple, although not as magnificent as it was during the Tang and Song dynasties, still has a rigorous and complete layout, and remains the most prominent Houtu temple in the country.
People from all walks of life within the country, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, come to seek their roots and pay homage to Houtu in an endless stream. They pray to the Holy Mother of Houtu for the Nine Provinces to have abundant harvests, national peace and prosperity, social harmony, and wealth among the people; and for the blessing of health, safety, and prosperity for the whole family, wishing everything to go well. Especially on the birthday of the Holy Mother of Houtu (the 18th day of the third lunar month) and during the temple fair on the fifth day of the tenth lunar month, devout men and women, merchants, and tourists rub shoulders with each other, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.
The Wantong Houtu Temple in Shanxi
The Wantong Houtu Temple, also known as the Wantong Houtu Shrine, was historically called the Fen Yin Houtu Shrine. It is bordered by the Yellow River and the Fen River to the west and north, situated by the mountain and near the water, with an open terrain, facing south from the north, covering an area of 25,335.62 square meters. The overall layout is a long rectangle from south to north, a typical temple complex with a strict layout and clear structure, consisting of the spirit path, mountain gate, '品' character platform, east and west 'Five Tigers' side halls, altar, offering hall, incense pavilion, main hall, Autumn Wind Tower, Zhang Yi Path, and other components. The Fen Yin Temple was built in the first year of the Hou Yuan era of Emperor Wen of Han (163 BC), and the Houtu Shrine was built in the second year of the Yuan Shou era of Emperor Wu of Han (121 BC). The Houtu Shrine was relocated again in the ninth year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1870) and has been preserved to this day, with a history of over 150 years. The Wantong Houtu Temple is the oldest existing temple in China dedicated to the worship of the goddess Nüwa. Its glazed decorations are dazzling, and the wooden and brick carvings of the Autumn Wind Tower stand harmoniously, majestic and spectacular. Inside the tower, there is a stele inscribed with Emperor Wu of Han's 'Autumn Wind Ode' from the eighth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1271), as well as the 'Fen Yin Two Saints Offering Inscription' (Xiao Wall Stele) handwritten by Emperor Zhenzong of Song and the 'Houtu Shrine Appearance' stele from the Jin Dynasty. These are precious historical materials for understanding the imperial Fengshan sacrifices to the earth and the appearance of the Houtu Temple during the Song and Jin periods, with unique value in calligraphy, literature, and academia. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit.
The exquisite Hou Tu Temple is the epitome of Jie Xiu's colored glaze craftsmanship
🌈In Shanxi, if the best glazed pagoda is in Guangsheng Temple, then the finest glazed hall is undoubtedly the Hou Tu Temple.
🗼Jie Xiu has been famous for producing exquisite colored glaze since ancient times. As early as the Ming Dynasty, the colored glaze industry became a well-known industry in the southern region of Shanxi, with Jie Xiu being the most famous and popular center for colored glaze manufacturing. However, due to the increasing scarcity of raw materials and the gradual loss of craftsmanship, many of the ancient colored glaze pieces in Hou Tu Temple, the last great achievement of Jie Xiu's colored glaze products, are now unique (many originals have been placed in museums).
🛕The exact founding date of Hou Tu Temple is unknown, but it existed more than 1500 years ago during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It was rebuilt and expanded over the dynasties, and it took on its current size after expansion during the Ming Zhengde years. In the eighth year of the Qing Yongzheng era (1730), the construction of the new Earth God Temple led to the current layout of the ancient building complex, which includes eight Taoist temples and shrines such as Sanqing Temple, Hou Tu Temple, Zhenwu Hall, Sanguan Temple, Niangniang Temple, Lüzu Pavilion, Guandi Temple, and Earth God Temple, with dozens of halls. Among the existing buildings, the Sanqing Tower is from the Yuan Dynasty, while the rest are from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
🐉'Hou Tu worship' was an important deity worship during the Qin and Han dynasties in China. It originated from the Fen Yin Hou Tu Temple by the Yellow River in Wanrong. Later, the concept of 'Yellow Earth Hou Tu' gradually evolved to include the worship of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, which is reflected in the layout of Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In folk customs, the Earth God Hou Tu is also mixed with secular concepts.
🐲'Hou Tu' is a term of respect for the Earth Goddess and female worship in the ancient primitive matriarchal society within the worship of the land. The vastness and boundlessness of the land, bearing all things, and being the fundamental basis for the nurturing and survival of all living beings, led to the supreme worship of the land by people, which gradually became personified, hence the term 'Hou Tu Niangniang', becoming a widely worshipped deity among the people of southern Shanxi.
🌈The largest and most magnificent place of worship for the Earth God Hou Tu is this Hou Tu Temple. After repairs and renovations over the generations, Hou Tu Temple and the surrounding Taoist buildings have merged into a grand architectural complex. It is known as the 'Taoist Earth'.
Ticket🎫: Free🆓, enter with ID card🆔
Opening hours: 8:30～17:30
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Wanrong Dongyue Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
This year, I gained 100,000 followers thanks to these 9 puzzles
📍Feiyun Tower is located within Dongyue Temple in Wanrong County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. It is a pure wooden structure and is known as 'China's number one wooden building'.
📍Feiyun Tower stands 23.19 meters tall, densely packed with dougong brackets, and all joints are mortise and tenon connections, intricate and exquisite. It is known as 'the Southern Tower and the Northern Pagoda' together with the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County.
The exterior of Feiyun Tower has three stories, but inside it actually has five floors, with a total height of about 23 meters. The ground floor is square, the middle floor changes to a folded cross shape, surrounded by a corridor, and the roof profile is varied; the third floor returns to a square shape, but the roof resembles the middle floor, topped with a cross-ridge roof. The roofs of each floor make up the rich facade composition of Feiyun Tower.
📍Feiyun Tower is not large in volume, but it has four layers of eaves, 12 triangular roof sides, and 32 roof corners. The wood surfaces are not painted, showing the natural color of the wood.
The dougong bracket shapes and structures of Feiyun Tower are extremely varied, with almost every floor having a different form of upturned eaves and bracket sets.
📍The decorative elements include dragon heads, rolled clouds, grasshopper heads, and single floating clouds, with upturned mouths in the shapes of qin-face and ruyi heads. The angle brackets are decorated with elephant noses and dragon heads, adding a rich decorative interest.
📍Feiyun Tower is a representative building within Dongyue Temple in Jiedian Town, Wanrong County. There is a local saying: 'Wanrong has a Jiedian Tower, half-stuck into the sky'.
✨The exact founding date of Feiyun Tower is unknown, but records indicate that the tower already existed during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan period. The existing structure was rebuilt in the eleventh year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, retaining the architectural style of the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
Dongyue Temple in Wanrong, Shanxi
Dongyue Temple in Wanrong, also known as Dai Temple or Taishan Temple, is located on West Street in Wanrong County. The creation date is unknown, but the temple existed during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty (627~649) when Fenyang County was established. It covers an area of 15,800 square meters. Dongyue Temple in Wanrong faces north and south, and the main buildings on the central axis include Feiyun Tower, Wumen, Xianggu, Bagua Pavilion, Dongyue Hall, and Yanwang Hall. The architectural layout still retains the early building regulation of setting the tower in front of the central axis. The exterior of the tower is exquisite and varied. Feiyun Tower is the main building of Dongyue Temple, and it is known as the 'South Tower and North Pagoda' with the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County. It has five rooms wide and deep, square in plan, pure wooden structure, three bright and five dark floors, 23.19 meters high, cross-hipped roof, the bottom floor is full of wooden columns, the central four columns are 15.45 meters high and reach the top floor, and the 32 wooden columns around form a chessboard shape. There are 345 sets of bucket arches on the third and fourth floors, with various shapes. Feiyun Tower is a pure wooden building with a clever structure and exquisite shape. It is a masterpiece of Chinese tower-style architecture and has great tourism and cultural research value. The overall layout of Dongyue Temple is wide and orderly. Among them, Feiyun Tower is rich and varied, and its majestic momentum is the best in the whole temple, reflecting the superb level of ancient Chinese architectural skills.
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The Wanrong Dry Spring Tower in Shanxi
The Wanrong Dry Spring Tower was originally one of the buildings of the Gushan Jiequan Temple. The temple was established in the second year of Song Xuanhe (1120), and the tower was built in the Jin Dynasty. Now the temple is destroyed but the tower remains. The tower is a square dense eave solid brick tower, with a total height of 30 meters and 11 levels. The base of the tower is square, the first layer is a Sumeru seat style, the south side of the tower body opens a brick arch niche, from the first to the fourth layer, imitation wood structure brick carvings are applied, each side of the fourth layer has a douqi, and from the fifth layer, the eaves are stacked and retracted. It is a key cultural relic protection unit in China.
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