Zhuozhang River Valley | The Only Shrine of Yu the Great

Behind Huilong Temple, a short walk up a small path leads to a raised platform with a few village houses. Continue along the path, and at the end, you'll find another platform with a complex of ancient buildings, set against the backdrop of the Taihang Mountains. This is the Shrine of Yu the Great. Forget everything I just said; you can actually drive up to the platform. Don't ask me how I know. Legends of Yu the Great are widespread in Shanxi, especially in Pingshun County, where many temples are dedicated to him. However, only this one in Houbi Village bears the name "Shrine of Yu the Great." Historical records clearly indicate that the Shrine of Yu the Great was built in the second year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1265 AD). Along its central axis are the mountain gate (which also serves as a reversed stage), a moon platform, and the main hall. On either side are east and west wing rooms and side halls. The reversed stage above the mountain gate is a relic of the Ming Dynasty. The main hall, a Yuan Dynasty structure, features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, three bays wide and four purlins deep. The central bay has a wooden plank door, while the side bays have straight lattice windows. A small, elegant moon platform stands before the hall, with no offering hall. The moon platform has suffered some damage over time, and a carved inscription from the second year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty can be found on the left side. Although small in scale, the Shrine of Yu the Great boasts a complete layout and a clear inscription indicating its construction date, making it a textbook example for studying the architectural layout of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. 📍Address: Shrine of Yu the Great, Houbi Village, Yanggao Township, Pingshun County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province 🎫Tickets: Free 🈺Opening Hours: Winter: 9:00 am–11:30 am, 2:00 pm–4:30 pm Summer: 8:30 am–11:30 am, 2:30 pm–6:30 pm 🅿️Parking outside the small road 🏆6th Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units