Shanxi trip - Yuncheng Jiezhou Guandi Temple

The Xiezhou Guandi Temple was founded in the ninth year of Kaihuang in the Sui Dynasty (589 AD), and was expanded and rebuilt in subsequent dynasties. It reached its peak in the late Ming Dynasty! The existing building was rebuilt after a fire in the forty-first year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1702), which took ten years. The total area reaches 220,000 square meters! Compared with the 720,000 square meters of the Forbidden City, it can be seen that the scale of the Temple of Martial Arts is huge! Therefore, the Xiezhou Guandi Temple is the largest, best-preserved, and highest-level palace-style temple complex among the existing martial temples in my country. It is known as the "ancestor of Guan Temple" and the "crown of Wu Temple"! The temple faces south and consists of three major parts: the Jieyi Garden, the main temple courtyard, the side courtyards and the Imperial Garden. The main temple courtyard follows the palace-like layout of "court in front and bedroom in the back", with a total of 10 palace gates, 7 archways, 6 halls, 5 pavilions, 2 pavilions and 1 screen wall. This kind of layout and scale is unique among all Guandi Temples, which shows the respect that Jiezhou people have for this historical figure! The temple has plaques written by Emperor Kangxi, "Yi Bing Qian Kun", Emperor Qianlong, "Shen Yong", Emperor Xianfeng, "Wan Shi Ren Ji", Empress Dowager Cixi, "Wei Ling Zhen Die", etc., and the "Chongning Hall" and "Chunqiu Building" are representative buildings! The archway, high walls and gates all enhance the majesty of Guandi! The Romance of the Three Kingdoms has spread Guan Yu's reputation for loyalty and righteousness for a thousand years! But unlike other heroes of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu was gradually deified in later generations and was revered by the people as "Guan Gong", also known as the man with beautiful beard. He was honored by the imperial courts of all dynasties, but they were all granted the title of duke. Since the Ming Dynasty, his status has gradually increased, and he was named "The Great Emperor of the Three Realms, the Godly and Powerful, the Heavenly and Powerful, the Guan Sheng Emperor"! During the Qing Dynasty, he was even worshipped as "the loyal and righteous god, the benevolent and brave Guan Sheng Dadi", and was revered as the "Martial Saint", on par with the "Literary Saint" Confucius! At this point, Guan Gong's status in Chinese history reached its peak. Travel tips: 1. The parking lot fee for a small car is 10 yuan per time. After parking, if you don’t want to walk to the scenic area, you can wait for the free electric car to take you there. It takes no more than 10 minutes to walk from the nearest parking lot (it seems to be Parking Lot 2) to the entrance, and it is an easy walk. 2. Tickets: Shanxi Cultural and Tourism Tickets are free; tickets purchased one day in advance are 54/person, tickets purchased at the door are 60, and children are half price. 3. You must hire a tour guide to visit the cultural landscapes, which costs 80 yuan and takes more than 2 hours. You can get a stamp collection manual for free at the entrance, and you can collect three large stamps.