[2025 Huozhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Wahuangmiao (Updated May)

Wa Huang Temple in Jia Village, Dazhang Town, Huozhou, Shanxi, is dedicated to the goddess Nuwa. Nuwa is the "creator goddess" in Chinese mythology, known for patching up the sky and creating humans. People believe she governs marriage and childbirth, so they built temples to worship her. This temple dates back to the Ming Dynasty, though the current structures are mainly from the Qing Dynasty, with some original elements preserved. Wa Huang Palace 💡Overall Layout Facing south, the temple follows a central axis connecting the mountain gate, opera stage, offering hall, and main hall (Wa Huang Hall), flanked by side halls. It's not particularly large but has a traditional and authentic old temple vibe. 🌟The Stunning Main Hall Golden Roof: The main hall features a "suspended gable roof" (two-sloped roof) covered with glazed tiles that gleam under sunlight. The wooden brackets under the eaves are intricately carved. Breathtaking Murals: Inside the hall are Ming Dynasty murals spanning over 70 square meters, depicting Nuwa hosting a banquet with deities joining the festivities. The colors remain vibrant, and the figures are lifelike, making these murals a pinnacle of Ming Dynasty art! 💡Details Worth Noticing The painted beams, carved bricks, and glazed roof decorations are all exquisitely crafted, showcasing the exceptional skills of ancient artisans. 💡National Recognition: Designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2006, especially for its murals, which are a must-see for those studying ancient art and folk beliefs. While Huozhou's Wa Huang Temple isn't as famous as the one in Hebei, its Ming Dynasty murals are truly unique! Whether you're into ancient architecture, mythology, or just want to capture some stunning traditional-style photos, this place is absolutely worth a visit. Be sure to focus on the mural details in the main hall—they're mesmerizing!

Excellent works of Qing Dynasty murals in Shanxi are coming ||| The figures in the existing Qing Dynasty murals seem to be inferior to those of the previous dynasties, but they also have their own characteristics and are also excellent, such as the murals in the Holy Mother Hall of Huozhou Holy Mother Temple (Wahuang Temple) [ThumbsUp] The murals in Huozhou Holy Mother Temple are mainly distributed on the east and west walls of the Holy Mother Hall, with a total area of ​​about 70 square meters. They are excellent works of Qing Dynasty murals.  Features of murals: Content and subject matter: The theme is based on the myth of Nuwa, such as refining stones to mend the sky, kneading clay to create humans, and opening the sky and establishing the pole. At the same time, it incorporates a large number of social life scenes of the Qing Dynasty, such as court banquets, officials worshiping, and palace maids working, which perfectly blends myth and reality. Composition and layout: Adopting a panoramic composition, the characters are grouped together ingeniously using buildings, trees, etc., making the picture well-layered and appropriately dense, forming an organic whole. Painting techniques: - Use of lines: mostly orchid leaf drawing and iron wire drawing, the lines are smooth and natural, strong and powerful, and can vividly express the shape and charm of the characters. - Color matching: mainly mineral pigments such as red, blue, green, white and yellow. The colors are bright and lively, and still maintain a high saturation after hundreds of years. - Character modeling: The characters are plump, with strong and healthy bodies, and elegant and dignified temperaments. The characters' facial expressions are rich and varied, vividly showing the personality traits and psychological states of different characters. - Detail processing: The large and small images on the screen are handled meticulously, and the details of flowers, plants, houses, clothing, etc. are portrayed very delicately. The palaces, brothels, pavilions and terraces were drawn using a ruler, reflecting the superb painting skills. Don't miss it if you like it

🗓Itinerary: Catholic Church - Drum Tower - Zhusheng Temple - Huozhou Office - Nuwa Temple - Guanyin Temple - Thousand Buddha Cliff 🚉Transportation Guide: Self-driving: Just navigate to each attraction. Note that parking is difficult at the Drum Tower and Thousand Buddha Cliff, and the road to Guanyin Temple is narrow. PS: The Catholic Church is not on the map, but you can navigate to Tongnian Tongyue Kindergarten. Bus: Catholic Church, Drum Tower, Zhusheng Temple, Huozhou Office: You can walk there. Nuwa Temple, Guanyin Temple: You can take Bus No. 1 (every 10 minutes) or a shared green electric bike. Thousand Buddha Cliff: Take a bus at Ganglou Bus Stop in the direction of Xin Zhi, tell the driver you are going to Thousand Buddha Cliff, and you will arrive in 15 minutes for CNY 4. 🌟Highlights: [Catholic Church] There are so many Catholic churches in Shanxi. This one by the Fen River is also very beautiful, but it was cloudy and the church was closed when I visited. [Drum Tower] Built in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the upper part of the tower is a three-story cross-hipped roof, and the two-story wooden pavilion is the essence. This is also the bustling city center of Huozhou. [Zhusheng Temple] A Ming Dynasty relic that was only upgraded to a national protected site in 2019, but the sign at the entrance is still a provincial protected site. The essence is outside. If you want to open the door, you can go to the row of houses on the right side of the main hall to find a monk. There are wooden chairs at the entrance of his house. [Huozhou Office] Mr. Liang Sicheng called it "an unparalleled architectural example of absurdity." It is the most well-preserved state-level office in China, and one of only three Yuan Dynasty halls in China. I didn't go in because of the bad weather. [Nuwa Temple] Recently under construction and closed, it has exquisite murals inside, clear springs outside, and champion culture. [Guanyin Temple] The navigation takes you to the small gate, the main gate is behind the alley on the right, and the unique opera stage outside is easily overlooked. [Thousand Buddha Cliff] Although it is a city-protected site, it is highly recommended. Please see the collection of articles below.

Located in Jia Village, Dazhang Town, Huozhou City, Linfen, Shanxi Province, there is a Nuwa Temple built in the Ming Dynasty. The inscription in the temple does not record the specific time of its construction, but only mentions that it was renovated in the fourth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1865). Nuwa Temple faces south. The existing buildings on the central axis include a stage and the Hall of Our Lady of Nuwa from south to north. On the east and west sides are wing rooms and bell and drum towers. The Notre Dame Hall is the main hall, and the main purpose of going here is to see the Qing Dynasty murals inside. There are currently four murals in the main hall of Nuwa Temple, located on the east and west walls and on both sides of the north wall, with a total area of ​​about 71 square meters. Due to cultural protection issues, use cold light sources to illuminate the murals as much as possible. Among them, the murals on the east and west walls are the largest, each covering about 25 square meters. From the inscription on the mural, it can be seen that the painting was painted during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It lists the names of the Fenxi County painters and oil painters who painted the mural at that time. In the west wall, Nuwa is arranging her hair accessories. There is a bearded man on the left side of the lower part of the picture. The elder, with attendants holding crowns in front and followers holding canopies and barriers behind, should be Emperor Fuxi. There are two thrones at the back of the picture, which should represent the two gods Nuwa and Fuxi. The east wall depicts the busy and lively scene in the palace when Nuwa entertained hundreds of officials. The figures with crowns on their heads, "three from the left and five from the right" at the bottom of the picture, should be the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The north wall shows the scene of maids preparing sacrifices, which is full of life. This time I went to Shanxi mainly to see the hanging sculptures and murals. Different from the hanging sculptures in Xiao Xitian, this one is a product of a later stage, and its appearance and charm are a little worse. However, if you are very interested in the content of the murals, it is still worth a look. . In addition, many scenic spots in Shanxi are not scenic spots, so in fact, they are cultural relic management types. They need a letter of introduction or find a guardian to protect the cultural relics management to open the door. Pay attention to communication skills. Otherwise it will be difficult to open the door!

🌟 In the eastern suburbs of Huozhou, Shanxi, there is a small village where all of the more than 2,300 residents are from a locally famous 'Scholar Village', which has also been included in the fifth batch of China's traditional village list. In ancient times, this place was abundant with scholars and successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations, and today it continues to produce many university students, master's degree students, and doctoral students, maintaining the village's cultural lineage. This is Jiacun Village in Dazhang Town. 🌟 In addition to being a 'Scholar Village', the village also hides a national protected building - the Nuwa Temple. The architecture itself is quite ordinary, but the murals inside the hall are truly exceptional. 🌟 The Nuwa Temple is not considered a tourist attraction, but a national protected unit that is not usually open to the public. To enter, one must contact the cultural management staff. I was lucky when I visited; a few locals were going in to make offerings, and had contacted the cultural management staff early, so I was able to enter with them. This may just be the norm when visiting ancient buildings in Shanxi, entirely dependent on luck. 🌟 The existing Nuwa Temple is not very large in scale, mainly consisting of a stage, the Holy Mother of Nuwa Hall, and the bell and drum towers and side rooms on both sides. The biggest highlight is the central Holy Mother Hall. 🌟 The Holy Mother Hall is located behind the offering hall and is a single-eave hanging mountain top structure with a width of three bays and a depth of six rafters. The focus is on the murals inside the hall. 🌟 The themes of these murals are different from other places, mainly depicting the creation themes of Nuwa mending the sky with stones, creating humans from earth, and establishing the extremes of heaven, which are rare in the existing temple murals in China. 🌟 Painted during the Qing Dynasty, the total area of the murals reaches 71.17 square meters. The overall composition is panoramic, using buildings and trees to arrange the characters in the scene. Although there are many figures, they are well-ordered, and the murals also blend mythological legends with the social life of the time, making it an excellent place to understand the life of the Qing Dynasty people. 🌟 On the east wall, this 24 square meter mural comprehensively depicts the scene of the Holy Mother Nuwa handling affairs. The Holy Mother Nuwa sits in the center, flanked by a maid and two civil officials on each side. On the platform above, there are the Five Emperors wearing imperial crowns and robes. Below the steps, a group of palace ladies whisper or walk between the various halls. 🌟 The content on the rear eave wall includes 'The Imperial Kitchen Picture' and 'The Banquet Preparation Picture', mainly showing the scene of palace ladies from the imperial kitchen preparing meals and banquets. 🌟 On the west wall, the Holy Mother of Nuwa, wearing a phoenix crown, stands in the middle, with palace ladies holding feather brooms and attendants holding palace fans on both sides. Nearby are various deities coming to offer congratulations. 🚌 Transportation options: 🌟 From the Huozhou city area, take bus No. 1 to the entrance of the village, and it's a 10-minute walk into the village. The Nuwa Temple is not big, but the Nuwa-themed murals are quite distinctive. If you're traveling to Huozhou, consider taking half a day to visit.

1: HuoZhou Government Office, along with the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Governor's Office in Baoding, Hebei, and the County Yamen in Neixiang, Henan, are collectively known as the 'Four Great Ancient Government Offices of China'. 2: On May 25, 2006, the Empress Wa Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.