A city often mispronounced in Shanxi, the largest existing Guandi Temple in Tibet, is worth a trip

It is said that there are more than 20,000 Guandi Temples hidden in Shanxi Province, so it can be seen almost everywhere, but if the Guandi Temple is the most distinctive, then it must be the Guandi Temple in Jiezhou .

Before talking about Guandi Temple, let’s talk about the word “jie” of Jiezhou. Many tourists who come from outside will read “xièzhou” or “jièzhou” for the first time. When Ma Qiting first arrived, they would also Read as "xiè state". But when I get to know the local area of ​​the state, the local tourist guides and people will actually read "hài state". So I also went to the countryside and followed them to read it, but when I arrived in Wutai County, the driver helped me to correct me and said that I should read it as "xièzhou", so I still have some confusion until now.

Let's leave this issue alone for the time being, let's return to the Guandi Temple itself. Guandi Temple, located in Xiezhou, Yuncheng, is unique. It was built in Kaihuangjiu (589 AD) in the Sui Dynasty and was destroyed after a fire in 1702. What we see now is the Qing Dynasty. The remaining buildings. Today's Guandi Temple has become the largest existing palace-style Taoist building complex and a martial arts temple, so it is also known as the "ancestor of Guan Temple."

The scale of the entire Guandi Temple is very large, the entire building has reached more than 18,000 square meters, and is mainly divided into two parts, the north and the south. To the south are the archways, Qunzi Pavilion, Sanyi Pavilion, etc.; to the north are the front and rear parts, and the front part is the central axis of Duanmen, Pheasant Gate, Meridian Gate, Yushulou, and Chongning Hall. The second half is mainly the "Qi Su Qianqiu" archway and Chunqiu Tower.

After passing through the mountain gate, you enter the core area of ​​Guandi Temple. The first building is the Jieyifang rebuilt in recent years. Whether it is a wooden building or a painted sculpture, you can see a strong sense of newness and a general look. However, the four-dragon colored glaze screen wall on the north side of the archway is a real antiquarian. This dragon wall was built during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty (1426-1435). The whole is somewhat damaged, but the preserved colored glaze Chinose kiss and other objects can still show its exquisite workmanship.

On the north side of Silongbi is a "Duanmen" facing north to south. It was rebuilt in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. The brick structure of the palace gate building has an imitation wood structure brick sculpture with a "Guandi Temple" carved in the center. The Duanmen is exquisite in shape and exquisite carving, which is a rare masterpiece in the brick structure of the Ming Dynasty.

Passing through the Duanmen, you can see three tall gates, namely the "Wenjing Gate", "Wuwei Gate" and "Pheasant Gate". It is said that they have their own functions, according to their names for the entry and exit of civil servants, military officers and emperors.

After passing the gate, you enter the Meridian Gate. The Meridian Gate was destroyed in the Qing Dynasty and was reconstructed later. Some of the murals are only 60-70 years old, and they are relatively ordinary. But don't be disappointed, the "Yushulou" behind the Meridian Gate is a more important attraction in Guandi Temple. The plaque in front of the Yushulou is "Yibing Qiankun" written by Emperor Kangxi during his western tour and the plaque "Yishulou" of Emperor Qianlong. The wooden moss well in the middle of the Yushulou is also a very important feature.

The first entrance behind the Meridian Gate is the Chongning Hall, the main building of the Guandi Temple. It was built in the third year of Chongning in the Northern Song Dynasty (1104). The horizontal plaque of "Qiankun", the horizontal plaque of Emperor Qianlong's handwritten "Brave", three Qinglong Yanyue knives weighing 300 jin, and the Qing Dynasty bell pavilions and stele pavilions on both sides of the Chongning Hall.

Follow the stone bases on both sides of the Chongning Hall to the north and you will reach the northern area of ​​Guandi Temple. The main highlight is the Chunqiu Tower, which was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. However, the buildings we currently see are from the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Remains rebuilt. The whole is a two-story triple-eave Xieshan-top building with a height of 33 meters. The biggest attraction is the woodcarving decoration in the building, especially the woodcarving patterns of dragons and phoenixes, flowing clouds, flowers, and figures under the eaves.

There is a relatively large area behind the Chunqiu Tower, the back garden, which is purely a newly built area for tourism development in the later period and can be skipped directly. But don't think that the highlight of Guandi Temple is over. In fact, there is a hidden cultural relic hidden in Guandi Temple, which will be ignored by most tourists. This is a Ming Dynasty archway at the exit. The archway is carved with stories about the life of Guan Gong, such as Taoyuan's Three Knots, Three British Fights, Lu Bu, and the single-handed attendance of Guan Gong. The entire relief is quite exquisite, and you can also focus on it.

This is the travel experience of Guandi Temple in Jiezhou. Although the popularity here is relatively small compared to many attractions, there are still many antiquities inside, and it is also a treasure place for humanity travel lovers.