#Beizhen Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Taoist Temples
Address:
On a hill two kilometers west of Beizhen City, Jinzhou City
Opening times:
Open today at 09:00-21:00(Admission ends at 20:00)Opening Soon
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hour
Northeast Mountain God Temple ceiling, Jinzhou Beizhen Temple tour guide
China's Five Towns Famous Mountains
⛰️ East Town Yishan (Shandong) ⛰️ South Town Kuaiji Mountain (Zhejiang)
⛰️ West Town Wushan (Shaanxi) ⛰️ North Town Yiwulu Mountain (Liaoning)
⛰️ Central Town Huoshan (Shanxi)
The Five Towns and the Five Great Mountains are collectively known as China's ten famous mountains. The Five Great Mountains are for offering sacrifices to heaven, and the Five Towns are for offering sacrifices to earth. They are all places where emperors of past dynasties held their enfeoffment and sacrificial ceremonies. It is said that there is an imperial temple built under each of the Five Towns' mountains, and now the only one preserved seems to be the North Town Temple under Yiwulu Mountain in Jinzhou, Liaoning.
🐲The cleaning lady in the temple said that Jinzhou's North Town Temple is the largest mountain god temple in the entire three northeastern provinces. Emperors of past dynasties had to come here for all big and small matters to offer sacrifices. Emperor Qianlong even had a palace here (which has collapsed, and it is said that it will be rebuilt). A mountain god temple that is over 1400 years old, with five layers of temple buildings and red walls and green tiles, seems not so simple. However, most of the buildings are newly built and renovated. When I smelled the strong scent of paint, I knew that not much of the historical remains were left...
📸Some highlights
✅The stone lions at the entrance: Representing happiness, anger, sorrow, and fear (feels like speculation)
✅Stone steles from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties: They symbolize identity and are also the last defiance, 56 stone steles, 56 ethnic groups, somewhat coincidentally aligned
✅Ming dynasty colored murals: 32 founding heroes of the Ming dynasty (Xu Da, Tang He, Chang Yuchun...), somewhat reminiscent of the Tang dynasty's Lingyan Pavilion
✅Stone plaque 'North Town Temple': Written by Yan Song during the Ming dynasty's Jiajing era, he was a treacherous official, but that doesn't stop him from being a master calligrapher
HALEY BALLARD
Beizhen Temple in Jinzhou is one of the five great Zhen Shan (Township Mountains) in China
⛰【Travel Guide】
📍Detailed address: Guanyin Pavilion Street, Beizhen City, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province.
🚗Transportation guide: Self-driving.
🕙Opening hours: 8:30～16:30
💰Ticket price: 20 yuan/person
🌟Highlights:
1. Long history: Beizhen Temple, built during the Sui Dynasty, has a history of over 1400 years. It is the temple of the mountain god of Mount Yi Wu Lue, historically known as 'Yi Wu Lue Mountain God Temple'. It is the most well-preserved of the five great Zhen Shan temples in China, ranking alongside the first Zhen Shan, Yishan in the east, Wushan in the west, Huoshan in the center, and Kuaijishan in the south, collectively known as the 'Five Great Zhen Shan of China'.
2. Architectural style: Beizhen Temple is built against the mountain, facing south from the north, and is the most intact ancient architectural complex. There are 56 completely preserved steles from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties inside the temple, especially the 'Guangning Traveling Palace' site from the Qianlong era on the east side of Beizhen Temple.
3. Beizhen Temple, from the entrance, consists of the stone archway→mountain gate→Shenma Hall→bell/drum towers on both sides→main hall→Royal Incense Hall→Inner Incense Hall→Changing Hall→Bedroom Hall→Transport Platform→Stele Pavilion, and so on. Additionally, the rear hall of the Inner Incense Hall is the inner residence of the mountain god couple, with statues of the couple and child servants inside.
❤Recommended reason:
1. Since its establishment, Beizhen Temple has been the venue for emperors of successive dynasties to conduct sacrificial ceremonies, praying for divine protection.
2. The 56 steles are precious historical materials for studying the culture, economy, and politics of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
📌Little Tips:
The scenic area is vast, and it takes a long time to walk, so it is recommended to wear a pair of comfortable sports shoes for convenience.