[2025 Yuncheng Attraction] Travel Guide for Chunqiu Tower (Updated Mar)

The Jiezhou Guandi Temple, located in Jiezhou Town, Yuncheng, Shanxi, is the ancestral temple of all Guandi Temples worldwide and a sacred site commemorating Guan Yu, the renowned general of the Three Kingdoms period. Originally built during the Sui Dynasty and having undergone a thousand years of renovations, it is now the largest and most completely preserved Guandi Temple in China. The temple is laid out along a central axis, divided into "front court and rear chambers," showcasing a simple and elegant architectural style that embodies the essence of ancient Chinese architectural art. • Shanmen (Main Gate): Simple and solemn, the "Guandi Temple" plaque hanging above the gate highlights the temple's majesty. • Wumen (Noon Gate): The plaque above the Wumen, inscribed with "Awe-Inspiring Across China," was personally written by Emperor Qianlong, demonstrating the temple's esteemed status. • Main Hall: Housing a 6-meter-tall bronze statue of Guan Yu, the hall exudes solemnity and reverence. The murals and wood carvings within are exquisite. • Chunqiu Tower: Named after Guan Yu's nighttime readings of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the tower features the architectural marvel of "hanging beams and supporting pillars," a truly breathtaking sight. • Imperial Garden: The temple's garden landscape, with its pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and ponds, offers picturesque views at every turn, showcasing the elegance of Jiangnan gardens.

Located in Jiezhou Town, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, Jiezhou Guandi Temple is the largest and most completely preserved Guandi temple in China. It is also the ancestral temple commemorating Guan Yu, the famous general of the Three Kingdoms period. Originally built during the Sui Dynasty and renovated and expanded throughout the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the temple now covers an area of approximately 730,000 square meters. Its magnificent architecture embodies the essence of ancient Chinese architectural art. The temple faces south with a central axis running through it. Its layout is precise and divided into two main areas: the front court and the rear court. The front court mainly consists of structures such as the main gate, the second gate, and the noon gate, while the rear court includes core buildings like the main hall and the Chunqiu Tower. Strolling through the temple, you'll feel as if you've traveled through time, experiencing the spirit of Guan Yu's "loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and courage." 🌟Highlights • Main Gate: The "face" of the temple, simple and solemn, with the plaque "Guandi Temple" hanging above, highlighting the temple's majesty. • Main Hall: Houses the statue of Guan Yu, solemn and respectful. The exquisite murals inside depict important events from Guan Yu's life. • Chunqiu Tower: Named after Guan Yu's nighttime readings of the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, the tower houses precious cultural relics and ancient books, making it an important place to learn about Guan Yu's culture. • Imperial Garden: The temple's garden landscape, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and ponds, offers picturesque scenery at every turn, showcasing the elegance of Jiangnan gardens.

The Jiezhou Guan Di Temple in Yuncheng is located north of the Yanchi Salt Lake and faces the Zhongtiao Mountains. Originally built in 589 during the Sui Dynasty's Kaihuang era, it was expanded and renovated during the Song and Ming Dynasties. It was destroyed by a fire in 1702 during the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi period and took over a decade to restore. The Jiezhou Guan Di Temple is the largest existing palace-style Taoist architectural complex and military temple. It is known as the "Ancestor of Guan Temples" and the "Crown of Military Temples." 👀Must-sees ✅A popular photo spot is the horizontal plaque inscribed by Emperor Qianlong, "Shen Yong" (Divine Valor). The matching refrigerator magnets were sold out at the souvenir shop, but I finally found one at the Yuncheng Museum, although the quality wasn't great for 38 RMB. ✅Guan Di Temple has two beautiful coffered ceilings, one in the Imperial Library and the other in the Chunqiu Tower. The chrysanthemum coffered ceiling in Chunqiu Tower is truly magnificent👏. There's a 30 RMB fee to go upstairs, but it's worth it‼️ ✅The three gates: Duan Gate, Zhi Gate, and Wu Gate

Although there are thousands of Guan Di Temples, the one in Jiezhou is the oldest, largest, highest-ranking, and best-preserved, covering a total area of 220,000 square meters. It truly deserves its title as the "Ancestor of Guan Temples"👍 The temple is divided into two parts: the Jieyi Garden and the main temple. The main temple has a complete layout, with the front hall and the rear palace. Along the central axis are the screen wall, Duan Gate, Zhi Gate, Wu Gate, Yushu Tower, Chongning Tower, and Chunqiu Tower. On both sides, there are bell and drum towers, stele pavilions, and corridors. A popular photo spot is the horizontal plaque with the inscription "Shen Yong" (Divine Valor), written by Emperor Qianlong. The matching fridge magnets were sold out at the souvenir shop😭, but luckily, I found one at the Yuncheng Museum. However, the quality wasn't great for 38 RMB, so buy with caution. Guan Di Temple boasts two beautiful caissons, one in Yushu Tower and the other in Chunqiu Tower. The chrysanthemum caisson in Chunqiu Tower is truly breathtaking👏 There's a fee to go upstairs, but it's worth it‼️

The Jiezhou Guandi Temple, located in Jiezhou Town, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, is the earliest, largest, highest-ranking, and most completely preserved Guandi Temple in China. It is known as the "Ancestor of Martial Temples"👍. The temple faces south and covers a total area of 220,000 square meters. It adopts a traditional symmetrical layout along a central axis, with three courtyards, creating a magnificent atmosphere. 👀Main Attractions: Architectural Art: The temple's architecture blends various art forms, such as wood carving, stone carving, and brick carving. The stone-carved railings and wood-carved doors and windows showcase exquisite craftsmanship and stunning beauty. Chunqiu Tower: One of the main halls of the Guandi Temple, the second floor houses a statue of Guan Yu reading the Spring and Autumn Annals. The building's structure is intricate, and the wood carvings in the upper-level corridor are particularly lifelike. Chongning Hall: The main hall enshrines a statue of Guan Yu in imperial attire. The stone-carved dragon pillars in front of the hall are beautifully shaped with flowing lines.

🌟Yuncheng Guandi Temple Hiking Travel Guide🌟 👣 Hiking Route Planning Starting Point: Jiezhou Guandi Temple 🏯 Start from the main gate of Guandi Temple, walk along the paths around the temple, and feel the historical sediment and natural tranquility. Highlights Along the Way 🏞️ Chunqiu Tower: A treasure among ancient buildings, the suspended beam and column structure is not to be missed. Statue of Guan Yu: Majestic and solemn, a holy place for blessings and wishes. Kangxi's Calligraphy 'Righteousness Shines Through the Universe' and Qianlong's Inscription 'Divine Courage': A dual enjoyment of calligraphy and history, an excellent background for photography. 🍽️ Food Recommendations Jiezhou Lamb Pao Mo 🍲 Made with high-quality lamb and flour, the bread is soft, the meat is tender, the soup is rich and flavorful, a specialty of Yuncheng area. Beixiang Lamb Hupo and Lamb Offal Stew 🍲 Also worth trying, savor the authentic Yuncheng flavors. 📅 Best Time to Visit Spring and Autumn 🍂🍃 The weather is pleasant, the scenery is beautiful, making it the best season for hiking. 🚗 Transportation Self-driving or Chartering a Car 🚗 Yuncheng Guandi Temple is a certain distance from the city center, self-driving or chartering a car is more convenient. 💡 Tips Respect local beliefs and customs 🙏 Keep the environment clean, pay attention to sun protection and hydration.

The Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou was first built in the Sui Dynasty and has a history of more than 1400 years. After the Guan Di Temple was burned down by a fire, it took eleven years to rebuild in the 52nd year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1713), and the main structure is a Qing Dynasty building. As of 2023, it is the earliest, largest, highest-ranking and best-preserved Guan Di Temple. The total area of the Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou is 220,000 square meters, divided into the main temple and the Sworn Brotherhood Garden, with the Sworn Brotherhood Garden in the south. During the Xuanhe period of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Guan Gong was included in the objects of official worship. According to the 'Song History·Volume 58·Ritual Eight', in the fifth year of Xuanhe (1123), after Guan Yu was conferred the title of 'Yiyong Wu'an King', he was worshipped in the 'Wucheng King Temple'. The lions of the Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou hold their heads high and chest out, mighty and strong; the iron men are in the image of foreigners, with high noses and deep eyes, and are foreigners who feed lions, which are exquisite castings of the Ming Dynasty. Not only does it have high value for studying the casting technology of the Ming Dynasty, but it also provides important physical evidence for studying ancient costumes. In 1988, the Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou was announced by the State Council as the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 2005, the Guan Di Temple in Jiezhou was rated as a national AAAA level tourist attraction.

It is said that Jiezhou Guandi Temple was built in the late Chen Dynasty and early Sui Dynasty, and by the late Ming Dynasty, the temple was almost built according to the level of the court. However, most of the ancient buildings could not escape the fate of being repeatedly built and destroyed. The existing buildings are mostly left over from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Although the scale is not as large as before, it is still admirable. Jiezhou Guandi Temple was established in the ninth year of Sui Kaihuang (589 AD), and was expanded and renovated during the Song and Ming Dynasties. It was destroyed by fire in the forty-first year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1702 AD), and it took more than ten years to restore. Jiezhou Guandi Temple has a total area of 260,000 square meters, with more than 200 rooms, divided into the main temple and the Jieyi Garden, it is the largest existing palace-style Taoist building group and martial temple, known as the 'ancestor of Guan Temple' and 'crown of martial temple'. The temple is hung with plaques such as Kangxi's imperial pen 'Yi Bing Qian Kun', Qianlong's imperial 'Shen Yong', Xianfeng's imperial book 'Wan Shi Ren Ji', and Cixi's handwritten 'Wei Ling Zhen Die', the representative building is 'Spring and Autumn Building'. You can take bus No. 11 from Yuncheng Railway Station to Jiezhou Guandi Temple The journey takes about 40-50 minutes