[2025 Jishan Attraction] Travel Guide for Yuwangmiao (Updated Apr)

1⃣The things over there were so good that I felt nothing at all when I saw Yuan Gou in the end, my heart was as calm as still water. 2⃣The places are really too remote. Sometimes you can only see one attraction after driving on the national highway for more than an hour. You need to have expectations for the intensity of the trip. 3⃣ If you don’t have enough time, you can either drive yourself or charter a car or join a tour group. Taking public transportation is too unrealistic. ⭕️We stayed in Yuncheng, Linfen for four days. I had planned to visit many places, but I was limited by my physical strength and time. For example, Hou Tu Temple (I still had time to go on the third day, but I felt I didn’t have the energy to go back to Yuncheng), Yongle Palace (I originally planned to go on the fourth day, but I didn’t want to move after lying in the hotel. Fortunately, I had visited it a year ago, so I don’t regret it) 🔥The entire journey takes four days (the fourth day can be basically ignored) 1⃣At 10:18, we arrived at Linfen West, picked up the car and headed straight for Xiaoxitian. Seeing that it would take more than 50 kilometers to take the highway, we took the Linyan Line. There were a lot of large trucks in the first half of this road, so we must pay attention to safety. We took this route back again, and visited the Dongyue Temple in Pu County (very worth it), and also went to Fenshang Village which I accidentally saw when passing by (a pleasant surprise on the self-driving trip). 2⃣At 9 o'clock, we went to Dayun Temple to see the Iron Buddha Head, and then to Guangsheng Temple (the stay time seriously exceeded expectations, and the original plan to stay in Jishan did not come true). After a simple fast food meal in Hongdong County at around 2 o'clock, we rushed to Xinjiang. It was almost 6 o'clock when we finished visiting Fusheng Temple and Longxing Temple. Considering physical strength and time, we stayed in Xinjiang. 3⃣ Give up other attractions in Xinjiang, start from Baitai Temple, Dafo Temple, Jishan Jiwang Temple, Fawang Temple, Macun Brick Sculpture, Qinglong Temple one by one, and finally go to Wanrong Jiwang Temple and stay in Jishan. The attractions on this day are very close and not far apart, but most of them are country roads and village roads, so the time on the road is not short. What we saw at the tourist spots that day were basically a group of tourists. From the high-spirited people at the beginning to the people holding their waists and beating their legs at the end, you can imagine how intense the exercise was. In fact, it was just past 4 o'clock when we finished visiting the Wanrong Jiwang Temple, and we were fully qualified to go to the Houtu Temple. However, our energy was only enough to go there, not to go back. The accommodation there seemed to be a little worse, so we gave up and went back to Yuncheng directly. 4⃣ We didn’t go to Yongle Palace as originally planned. We visited Chishen Temple and Guanwang Temple in Yuncheng and returned to Xi’an early. ✅The total mileage of this trip is about 600 kilometers, and I almost never took the highway (only 24 hours on the highway). The total time on the road is about 11 hours, which means an average of 4 hours and 200 kilometers per day. Those who have self-driving plans can refer to this. I feel that it is very sunny and windy there these days. It is cold if I take off my coat, and stuffy with my coat on. It is easy to catch a cold if I am not careful. If I catch a cold, it will greatly affect my travel condition (don’t ask me how I know). The road conditions are generally good, but some village roads may be too wide, so you need to pay attention. Although Gaode often directs you to unnamed roads, it is generally reliable and can be trusted.

Jiwang Temple, built to commemorate Houji, the ancestor of agriculture, has a long history. The existing buildings, mostly in the Yuan and Ming Dynasty styles, carry the memories of ancient farming civilizations. The wood and stone carvings here are exceptional. Every pattern and design is vivid, as if telling stories of the past. The main hall is magnificent, and its layout and decoration showcase the exquisite art of ancient architecture. Standing in the square in front of the temple, take a panoramic photo with the whole temple as the background—it's sure to be a great shot. Inside the temple, take close-ups of people next to the ancient stone pillars, using the light and shadow to create a retro atmosphere. You can also take upward shots beneath the exquisite wood carvings to highlight the grandeur of the architecture.

Jiwang Temple is located on West Street in Jishan County, Shanxi Province. Its founding date is unknown. It was destroyed by fire in the 16th year of Daoguang reign of Qing Dynasty (1836). It was rebuilt in the 23rd year (1843) under the leadership of Li Jingchun, the magistrate of Jishan County. The existing buildings are relics from the Yuan and Qing dynasties. The temple faces north and south. From front to back, there are the Xian Hall, Houji Hall, Bagua Pavilion, Jiang Yuan Hall, etc., with bell and drum towers on both sides. Colored glaze, wood carvings and stone carvings are the "three wonders" of Jiwang Temple. The capital beams at the front and back of the Offering Hall are carved with various figures and patterns of agricultural activities, such as oxen plowing the fields, fanning the cart to clean wheat, family members delivering meals, and celebrating a good harvest. The characters include officials, old farmers, strong men, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and children; the domestic animals include cows and goats; the farm tools include plows, hoes, and fan carts. Each group of scenes is separated by trees, flowers, plants or rocks. The images are vivid and lifelike, reflecting the busy scenes of ancient farming activities, and the carving skills are superb. There are 20 stone-carved columns around the Houji Hall. The two flat columns in the front eaves are stone columns with relief carvings of coiled dragons. They are well preserved, with long dragons baring their fangs and claws, looking mighty and strong, and the carving techniques are delicate and skillful. The rest are shallow flat carved columns with rich patterns and themes, various variations, and superb carving techniques. Although the two carving techniques are different, they each have their own merits and sharp contrast, and both are the work of skilled craftsmen. The glazed tile roof is magnificent, and the carvings on the main ridge are particularly gorgeous and beautiful. There are three triple-eaved pavilions in the middle of the ridge; the two sides are decorated with reliefs of peonies and peony flowers and leaves, and the top is decorated with running flying horses; the two ends are decorated with dragon kisses swallowing the ridge. The shape is vivid and lifelike, and the colors are bright and eye-catching. It is a superior masterpiece of Qing Dynasty glazed products.

Southern Shanxi has a tradition of worshiping Houji, and almost every county has a Jiwang Temple. The Jiwang Temple in Jishan was originally located on Jiwang Mountain, but was later moved to the county seat. It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and rebuilt in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The Jiwang Temple is famous for its "three wonders" of glazed tiles, wood carvings, and stone carvings. It is a national protected site, with an entrance fee of CNY 20. The Yuncheng Tourism Annual Pass is not accepted. Upon entering the mountain gate, the first thing you see is the Xian Hall and the Bell and Drum Towers (Figures 2–4). The glazed tiles on the roof ridge are very exquisite (Figures 5–6), but the most distinctive feature is the iron pieces in the center of the roof ridge, which are "Nine Phoenixes Facing the Sun," "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," and "Five Blessings Holding Longevity" (Figures 7–8). There is a stone carving on each of the east and west gable walls of the Xian Hall, depicting the "Eight Scenic Spots of Jishan" and a poem by Li Jingchun, the magistrate of Jishan, about the reconstruction of the Jiwang Temple. The wood carvings and dragon columns on the door frames in front of the main hall are exquisite (Figures 11–17). Only the two square stone pillars behind the hall are not (Figure 18). The final pavilion and Jiang Yuan Hall (Figure 19) are Yuan Dynasty buildings.

The ancient buildings of Jishan are a series of history books written in brick, stone, wood and tile, and are the artistic treasures deposited in the long river of time. When we set foot on this land, it is like walking into the scroll of history. ❤Recommended attractions: ✅Jiwang Temple, the ancestral temple for worshiping Hou Ji. Jiwang Temple has three unique ancient buildings, exquisite stone carvings, magnificent glazed tiles, and wonderful wood carvings, which are exquisite to the "ceiling"! The wood carving of Hou Ji teaching the people to farm and the wood carving of the bell and drum tower are even more unique! 📝tips: Free before National Day ✅Macun Brick Carving Tomb, the "Underground Siheyuan" created by the medicinal diet family. Three highlights, women open the door, the tomb is arranged in the form of a Siheyuan, and the "banquet" scene in the tomb. 📝tips: Free before National Day ✅Qinglong Temple, amazing Yuan and Ming water and land murals. A palace of art, murals of water and land Taoist fields composed of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The characters in the picture are lifelike, as if they will walk down from the wall in the next moment, and there is also a huge monument of the Yuan Dynasty, "Yao Zhongsu Gong Shendao Monument". 📝tips: The murals are being repaired and are not open to the public ✅Dafo Temple, a thousand-year-old clay Buddha at a glance. The magnificent Buddha statue, evolved from the statue to the plastic statue. 📝tips: Free all year round ✅Yubi City Site, the birthplace of "Chile Song". Yubi City was the frontier town of the Western Wei Yuwen regime to resist the invasion of the Eastern Wei Gao regime. The well-known Northern Dynasty folk song "Chile Song" was written after Gao Huan's second attack on Yubi City was frustrated. 📝tips: Free all year round

|The Qing court paid compensation and begged for forgiveness, while the local government raised funds for farming. In 1842, the annual grain revenue of Jishan County in northern China was equivalent to about 42,000 taels of silver. In August of the same year, the Qing government signed a contract in Nanjing to pay the British a total of 21 million taels of silver. Li Jingchun, the magistrate of Jishan, presided over the restoration of the Jiwang Temple, spending about 10,000 taels of silver, but there was no approval from the central government. The magistrate paid 500 taels of silver for maintenance (similar to today's year-end bonus), and the rest was raised by local gentry and elders (handicraftsmen, rural people, and officials of all ranks in the county, ranging from silver to bricks, wood, and stone). It took half a year to raise the money. The magistrate confidently wrote the poem: "This temple is as close as heaven and earth." (Now seen on the west wall of the offering hall of Jiwang Temple) The following summer, in the countryside of the south, due to excessive taxation, a Hakka named Hong who failed the imperial examination began to persuade people to worship God. The collapse of the empire began. Nine years later, Li Jingchun resigned as the magistrate of Jishan County and returned to his hometown of Jianshui, Yunnan. His long-term career as an official in other places allowed him to unlock the modern national snack - Yunnan Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles, by using the outsider's way of eating one bowl for soup and another bowl for rice noodles.

[Jinshan Jimei·Jishan·Ancestor of the God of Agriculture, Three Wonders of Crown Beauty] Continue south and arrive at Jishan County. There are several national treasures hidden in the small county town. Jiwang Temple is located in the center of the county. It is a complete temple dedicated to Houji, the founder of farming. It is the largest of the existing Jiwang temples in Shanxi. When we went there, the venue was private and there were almost no people in sight. The wood carvings and stone carvings of the Qing Dynasty are worth savoring. The architecture is magnificent, especially the two bell and drum towers in front of the Xian Palace. They have unique shapes and exquisite carvings. I spent more than an hour visiting the small Jiwang Temple before leaving. Tips: Jiwang Temple has three unique features: 1⃣️Liu Li: The colored glaze of Jiwang Temple is divided into seven colors: yellow, orange, red, green, blue, blue, and purple, which are brilliant and ever-changing. The colored tiles on the roof and the flowers, flowing clouds, celestial horses, immortals, and mythical animals on the ridge are all made of colored glaze. The most exciting thing is that the main ridge of colored glaze in Houji Tower is more than 1 meter high, and there are about 5 feet high colored glaze ridges standing at both ends. Chi kiss. There are also glazed statues of Sun Bin, Pang Juan, Luo Cheng and Han Xin at the foot of Houji Tower as a backing up. 2⃣️Stone sculpture: The stone carvings in the Jiwang Temple are definitely based on the art of divine craftsmanship. The most praiseworthy ones are the two dragon stone pillars in front of Houji Tower. They adopt the hollow high-relief technique. One is a fire dragon passing through the flaming red bird. Stone pillars, one is a water dragon stone pillar with clouds surging, fish leaping and dragons flying. The walls on the east and west sides of the Xian Hall are engraved with the Eight Views of Jishan and the Seven Ancient Chapters of Li Jingchun respectively. 3⃣️Woodcut: The eye-catching wood carvings of Jiwang Temple use a still method to show the history of its walking. On the balustrades under the eaves of the front and rear halls, there are pictures of Hou Ji leading people to engage in agricultural activities.

| The largest temple in the country dedicated to the ancestor of agriculture. Hou Ji, surname Ji, name Qi, was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor, the eldest son of Emperor Ku, and the ancestor of the Ji family of the Zhou Dynasty. As the first person to plant millet and wheat, Hou Ji has been worshipped by emperors and people for thousands of years. The first unique feature of Jishan Ji Wang Temple is the eye-catching wood carvings, including Ji Wang holding grain spikes, farmers sowing and ploughing, hardworking cattle and horses, rolling stone mills, and grain winnowing fans, all vividly depicted. The figures in the painting are not only Hou Ji and the Zhou tribe who started the agricultural civilization yesterday, but also the common people who are sowing in spring, managing in summer, harvesting in autumn, and storing in winter along the agricultural civilization line laid by Hou Ji today. The second unique feature is the exquisite and beautiful stone carvings. They are unique in that they use superb craftsmanship to create a series of visible and tangible historical scrolls. The most breathtaking are the two coiled dragon stone pillars in front of Hou Ji Tower. The technique used is high relief carving. One is a fire dragon stone pillar with a flaming Suzaku passing through, and the other is a water dragon stone pillar with clouds and waves and fish leaping and dragons flying, showing the cultural connotation of the ancient Chinese dragon totem. The third unique feature is the gorgeous and magnificent glazed colored tiles. The colored tiles on the top of the slope and the flowers, flowing clouds, heavenly horses, immortals, and mythical beasts on the ridge decorations are all made of glazed tiles. The most exciting is the main ridge of Hou Ji Tower, which is more than 1 meter high. At both ends, there are large glazed dragon heads about 5 feet high. The glazed tiles are divided into seven colors: yellow, orange, red, green, cyan, blue, and purple. They are colorful and particularly eye-catching.