[2025 Zezhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Emperor Guan Temple, Fucheng (Updated May)

[Jin City, Shanxi: Dragons and Eight Pillars] The gate of the Guandi Temple, which is a stone's throw away from the Yuhuang Temple, is closed. However, this is not a big deal. I called the department in charge of cultural relics in Jin City, and the door opened after a while. They said it was temporarily closed due to rain, so I had the privilege of a private tour. The Guandi Temple in the city is not small, but the reason it is a national treasure is not its size, but the large number of exquisite wood carvings and stone carvings from the Qing Dynasty that have been preserved. The four stone pillars in front of the Guansheng Hall are four flying dragons, which are very imposing. The most outstanding are the four stone pillars in front of the Sanyi Hall, which are covered with carvings, all of which are based on Chinese folk stories and legends, such as the Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Investiture of the Gods, and Guo Ziyi's son-in-law's birthday celebration. Some of the lower stone pillars are damaged and destroyed, but most of the middle and upper parts are relatively intact, which is not easy. The four stone pillars depict many characters in detail, and the stories are vivid and interesting, which makes us very interested. However, don't forget to look up and see the exquisite wood carvings and beam paintings, which are equally wonderful. Under the urging of the cultural relics protection staff to get off work, we left the Guandi Temple. Don't miss the Guandi Temple when you come to Jin City! 📝Tips: Free admission, closes at 5 pm

Zhengzhou-Jincheng, the first stop of the escape plan Day 1: Depart from Zhengzhou East Station at 9:20 am. Book tickets in advance on Yuzhouxing. Free on weekends. Arrive at Jincheng East Bus Station in about 2.5 hours. Lunch at Hehe Liu. Visit the museum in the afternoon. The museum is not big, 2-3 hours is enough. No entry after 4 pm. Remember to make a reservation on the official account in advance. Unlike other museums with underground cultural relics, the entire 4th floor is a collection of ancient architectural art treasures. It is recommended to start from the 4th floor and work your way down. Dinner at Shi Xiaowan opposite the museum. Dinner starts at 5:30 pm. You can wait inside after visiting the museum. We ordered black goji berry tofu, wild vegetable rolls, Mao Tou meatballs, and yellow pear sea cucumber with fried pork (recommended). Small portions are available, so you can try more dishes. Very good. Day 2: We didn't book a bus in the morning, so we took a taxi to Qinglian Temple. The fare is 20 yuan. You can pay the driver an extra 10 yuan for parking. The driver will take you directly to the lower temple. We didn't take the shuttle bus. We arrived at the lower temple before 9 am. There were few people and it was very quiet. There were a few dogs basking in the sun. The main hall has Tang Dynasty painted sculptures. There is a corridor in front and a front hall with 11 Song Dynasty painted sculptures. The clothing styles are different. Be sure to take a look. Continue climbing for 5 minutes to reach the upper temple. There were more people. It is currently the most beautiful season for ginkgo. Under the ancient temple, the leaves turn from green to yellow. It is beautiful and sacred. You can also take home a seasonal limited edition ginkgo book card for 9-16 yuan. You can DIY it yourself, which is very meaningful. Then take a taxi to Yuhuang Temple. The fare is 33 yuan. It is a gathering place for various gods. You can find a place to pray for anything. Peace of mind, evergreen pines and cypresses, and various gods in addition to the popular 28 constellations. After leaving Yuhuang Temple, walk for about 10 minutes to Fucheng Guandi Temple, a more modern temple with exquisite pillar carvings depicting four stories. The characters are vivid and interesting. Finally, take bus No. 19 from the entrance of Fucheng Guandi Temple. 1 yuan to Jincheng East Bus Station. Book a return trip to Zhengzhou in advance on Dama Taihang Jincheng Tour. Free return home.

Fucheng Guandi Temple is located in Fucheng Village, Jincheng Town, Zezhou County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, and is situated on the east side of the village. Fucheng Guandi Temple was established in the first year of the Song Dynasty's Qingyuan period (1195) and was rebuilt many times during the Qianlong period. It covers an area of 4,200 square meters, and together with the outer courtyard of the Sanyi Temple, which is connected by a moon gate, it covers a total area of 6,000 square meters, with more than 160 halls of various sizes. In front of the Guandi Hall, there are four stone dragon pillars, which are placed under the wooden carved moon beams. The pillars are more than one foot high and three feet in circumference. On the four stone pillars, there are ten large and small hollowed-out giant dragons carved. The dragon bodies are of various shapes, some are coiled, some are leaping, and some are flying up and down. Among the coiled dragons, there are carvings of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, the Mother of Lightning, the God of Wind, the God of Thunder, and the God of Rain. The base supporting the dragon pillar is four ferocious round stone lions, which are reflected by the giant dragons. Although these stone pillars have experienced more than 800 years of vicissitudes, they are still sharp and clear. On March 5, 2013, Fucheng Guandi Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. Fucheng Guandi Temple

🏮Hey, guys! Today I'm going to introduce you to an amazing place - the Guandi Temple in Fucheng, Jincheng, Shanxi😎! 🌟Do you know what "carved beams and painted rafters" are? Come here and you'll understand! This temple is simply an ancient "sculpture art museum"👏! 🌈Among the 300,000 Guandi Temples in the country, the Fucheng Guandi Temple is unique😜! Why can it become a national heritage site? It's because of its "three carvings" art that has been beautiful for 800 years😍! 💖The wood carvings are so exquisite and delicate that people can't help but marvel👍, each carving seems to be telling an ancient story; the stone carvings are even more ingenious🎨, the vivid shapes make people clap their hands; and the brick carvings, so exquisite that people are dumbfounded😲, are simply treasures of art! 🎉This Guandi Temple was built in the 27th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, and has been standing quietly in the years for 800 years👏! It's like a kind old man, waiting for you to listen to its story and appreciate its beauty🥰. 💕Guys, if you have the chance, be sure to come to the Guandi Temple in Fucheng, Jincheng, Shanxi to experience this unique artistic charm🎊! I believe you will be deeply attracted to it and linger on😘!

【Jinshan Jinmei·Jincheng·Flying Dragons and Radiant Pillars】The gate of Guandi Temple, which is just a stone's throw away from the Jade Emperor Temple, was tightly closed. However, this was a small case. After calling the department responsible for cultural management in Jincheng, the gate was opened shortly, as it was temporarily closed due to rain. Thus, we enjoyed the privilege of a private tour. The Guandi Temple in Fucheng is not small in scale, but what makes it a national treasure is not its size, but the large number of exquisite wood and stone carvings from the Qing Dynasty that have been preserved. The four stone pillars in front of the Guansheng Hall are four flying dragons, imposing in their grandeur. The most remarkable are the four stone pillars in front of the Sanyi Hall, filled with carvings depicting stories and legends from Chinese folklore, such as the Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Investiture of the Gods, and Guo Ziyi's son-in-law paying respects on his birthday. The lower parts of the stone pillars are somewhat damaged and destroyed, but most of the upper and middle parts have been well preserved, which is quite rare. The four stone pillars are intricately carved with numerous characters, detailed and vivid, making the stories lively and interesting, keeping us engrossed. However, don't forget to look up and admire the exquisite wood carvings and colorful paintings between the beams, which are equally splendid. Urged by the cultural preservation staff to leave as they were off duty, we left the Guandi Temple. Guandi Temple, don't miss it when you come to Jincheng! 📝Note tips: Free admission, closes at 5 PM in the afternoon

| A magical place that earned the title of national treasure with just 8 stone pillars. Not far from the prefectural city's Jade Emperor Temple, there is a national treasure unit that should not be underestimated—the Prefectural City Guandi Temple. The architectural layout here is ingenious and well-arranged, and the exquisite wood and stone carvings inside are breathtaking, hence it is known as the 'Stone Carving Art Museum of Ming and Qing Architecture'. Opening hours: 8:00 - 18:00 (closed for lunch until 2 pm) Admission: Free Address: Fucheng Village, Jincheng City, Zezhou County Batch: Seventh batch of national treasure units Features: Stone carving, wood carving The Fucheng Guandi Temple was founded in the first year of the Qingyuan era of the Song Dynasty (1195), and has been renovated multiple times during the Qing Dynasty. The temple is built according to the terrain of Qinglonggang, facing south from the north, and has a four-courtyard layout. Starting from the mountain gate, each courtyard rises step by step, with a pattern known as 'four advances and eight stacks'. Most of the existing buildings are the results of renovations during the Qing Dynasty, including the stage, the passing hall, the first mountain gate, the second moon gate, the Guandi Hall, the Sanyi Hall, and so on. This Guandi Temple is famous for its outstanding stone and wood carvings, especially the stone carvings, which are mostly concentrated in the Guandi Hall and Sanyi Hall. The carving craftsmanship is exquisite, and the stories contained are very strong, making it a masterpiece of carving art. Guandi Hall, with a width of three bays, is a nine-bay front porch-style building with a single-eave hanging mountain top. The bracket sets use a style of five steps with heavy elegance, and the base is as high as 1.3 meters. There are four coiling dragon pillars in the front porch, and each pillar is carved with a vivid dragon, either coiling or leaping into the air, tumbling up and down, accompanied by clouds and mist! Among the coiling dragons, there are also cleverly interspersed carvings of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, the Mother of Lightning, the God of Wind, the God of Rain, and other figures. The base supporting the coiling dragon pillars is four round-carved stone lions, which complement the giant dragons. On the base of the second coiling dragon pillar on the west, there are stone inscriptions such as the seal script 'Qingyuan', the cursive script 'Yimao Zhongqiu', and the regular script 'Qianmei Zhiyin', providing detailed and reliable evidence for exploring the cultural and historical artifacts of the Fucheng Guandi Temple. In addition, there is a peculiar tree in front of the Guandi Hall, the fruit of which is shaped like a knife and is not artificially planted but naturally grown. Sanyi Hall, which enshrines the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang who formed an oath in the Peach Garden. With a width of three bays, it is a seven-bay front porch-style building with a single-eave resting mountain top. The bracket sets are of a style with five steps and double tilting out oblique sets. There are murals painted on the two inner eaves. The four stone pillars of the front porch are carved with various characters and stories. The pillar bases are divided into two layers, the lower layer is carved in the style of pavilions, and the upper layer has coiling dragon stone drums. The carvings on the pillar bodies are divided into four layers, using a combination of techniques such as openwork carving, relief carving, line carving, and standing carving, condensing the essence onto the four stone pillars. The main contents include: the story of the hundred-year-old man Zhang Gongyi from Shandong Shouzhang County during the prosperous Tang period and his nine generations living under the same roof, as well as his family governance; the heroes of Wagangzhai; Guo Ziyi's son-in-law paying respects for longevity, and so on. Although the characters are less than half a foot tall, their facial features and clothing patterns are meticulously carved, and their expressions and actions are rich and varied, some of which can be recognized at a glance as coming from certain anecdotes. The passing hall, with a width of three bays, is surrounded by cloisters, and all the columns are chamfered stone pillars, with exquisitely beautiful bases. Above are wood carvings, carved with patterns of two dragons playing with a pearl, flowers, birds, and beasts, and there is a pair of stone lions standing in front of the door, looking playful and cute. In addition, don't miss the pair of climbing lion stone drums next to it, with a lively lion lying on top of each, characters carved in the middle stone drum position, upward-facing stone lotuses below, and dragons and beasts carved at the very bottom, equally magnificent.

In Shanxi, there is never a shortage of dragon themes, such as glazed dragons, Jin Temple wood-carved dragons, Fenyang clay dragons, etc. Today we will look at the particularly outstanding stone-carved dragons in Jincheng. It was founded in the first year of Qingyuan reign of the Song Dynasty (1195), and rebuilt in the 21st year of Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1756) and the 47th year of Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1782). It faces south and was built according to the terrain of Qinglonggang. Starting from the mountain gate, the courtyards gradually rise in height with a rigorous layout. The floor plan consists of four courtyards. It is divided into two courtyards, the upper and lower, with different heights, so it is called "four courtyards and eight tiers". There are more than 160 halls of various sizes. From south to north on the central axis there are the hall, the first mountain gate, the second moon gate, the Sanyi Hall, the east and west side halls, the stele corridors, and the two wings of the palace. This article was mainly shot in the Sanyi Hall, where in addition to the wall paintings of Guan Yu's life and comic strips of the Three Kingdoms stories, there are also colored sculptures of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei inside the hall. The most valuable and exquisite parts of Sanyi Hall are the four stone pillars with figures in the front porch. The stone pillar base is two-layered, with the lower layer being carved in a pavilion style and the upper layer being equipped with a stone drum with a coiled dragon. The column carvings are divided into four layers, using a combination of hollow carving, relief carving, line carving, and standing carving. More than 300 historical stories from the Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty are meticulously carved and condensed on four stone pillars. Although the figures are less than half a foot tall, their eyebrows, eyes, noses, mouths, and clothing patterns are detailed and lifelike.

The Fucheng Guandi Temple faces south and is built along the terrain of Qinglong Gang. Starting from the mountain gate, each courtyard rises step by step. The layout is a four-entry courtyard, with each courtyard center being approximately 26.9 meters wide from east to west and about 15.14 meters long from north to south, divided into upper and lower courtyards with staggered heights, known as 'four entries and eight stacks'. Along the central axis from south to north in sequence are the dance tower, the passing hall, the first gate, the second moon gate, the Guanyu hall, the Sanyi hall, with east and west side halls, stele corridors, and two rows of wing rooms arranged in an orderly fashion.