Yuanqi Temple

Yuanqi temple was first built in 747 A.D. in the sixth year of Tang Tianbao. After maintenance and expansion, it became a mixed structure of Tang and Song dynasties. It is well protected and is a key cultural relic in Shanxi Province.

Yuanqi Temple

Yuanqi temple is located at the foot of Fenghuang mountain, 22 kilometers northeast of Lucheng city. The surging Zhanghe River flows by the mountain. There is a 22 hole stone bridge on the Zhanghe River, called Xin'an bridge. On the west side of the bridge is an earth cliff more than 80 meters high, on which there is a stone platform more than 10 meters high built by a man.

Yuanqi temple is an ancient temple with an area of 1200 square meters. The name of the temple is Yuanqi temple. Yuanqi temple was first built in 747 A.D. in the sixth year of Tang Tianbao. After maintenance and expansion, it became a mixed structure of Tang and Song dynasties. It is well protected and is a key cultural relic in Shanxi Province.

Historical evolution

Yuanqi temple is an ancient temple, located at the junction of Lucheng and Pingshun in Shanxi Province. Therefore, the solitary peak of the mountain rises and falls gently on both sides. It looks like a phoenix spreading its wings, so it is named Fenghuang mountain.

Yuanqi temple, the main peak of Zhuozhang River in the East, Jin Yu highway in the South and Xin'an village in the West. Yuanqi temple was built in 747 A.D. in the sixth year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty, and Qinglong pagoda was built in 1087 A.D. in the second year of Yuanyou in Northern Song Dynasty. The stone couplets in the temple say: "fog tower, shadow smoke temple, listen to the bell at night, listen to the tide at night", and "flying Pavilion, flowing elixir, facing the polar region, towering mountains and green clouds".

Layout structure

Yuanqi temple is composed of five parts: Daxiong hall, Sanfo hall, Qinglong pagoda, incense Pavilion and Jingchuang, covering an area of 1200 square meters. The main building is Daxiong hall, which faces south with a single eaves resting on the top of the mountain. It has three wide faces, four deep rafters, a square plane, and columns with side feet. It rises obviously. The beams are made of three rafters, and the rafters are pulled back. The four pavilions are made into Chinese Dougong, and the head is cut into a high shape. The beams and fangs are made of regular materials, the house slope is gently folded, and the eaves are far-reaching. Although it has been repaired from generation to generation, it still has the style of Tang and Song dynasties. Cultural relics protection

Around the temple, there are brick fence walls, three glass ridge houses and nine eaves, which are elegant, simple and magnificent. There is a square incense Pavilion in front of the hall, and an octagonal blue stone Scripture building under the pavilion. In front of the pavilion is engraved with the "memorial" of the Dharma Sutra and jianchuanjiansi. The maid musicians carved on eight sides of the building are all charming.

On the west side of the hall stands the great sage pagoda (commonly known as Qinglong pagoda) built in the second year of Yuanyou (1087 A.D.) of the Northern Song Dynasty. Tower body octagonal seven, 17 meters high, layer upon layer cornice Dougong, meticulously carved, different shapes. Eight iron men are installed at the octagonal top of the tower, each of them is majestic and shining. An iron bell is hung at each corner of the tower. The wind echoes the bell and the bell does not stop ringing.

Cultural relics protection

Yuanqi temple was announced as the fifth batch of key cultural relics protection units by the State Council on June 25, 2001.

Yuanqi temple was first built in 747, the sixth year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty. After maintenance and expansion, it has become a mixed structure of Tang and Song dynasties. Yuanqi temple covers an area of only 1200 square meters. Although it is small in scale, it is arranged in different ways with distinct priorities. It not only has the magnificent spirit of ancient architecture, but also has the elegant artistic conception of famous temples in the world. Standing on the Xin'an shuangkong stone bridge across the Zhanghe River, looking up at the temple, you can see the green stone and loess rising from the cliff, the platform rising from the cliff, the temple built on the platform, the pagoda in the temple, the towering tower, the pines and cypresses hidden, and the pagoda Temple indulged in the mist.

Landscape features

Yuanqi temple is located at the top of Fenghuang mountain, more than 20 kilometers northeast of Lucheng county. It was first built in the sixth year of Tang Tianbao (767) and is relatively intact. It is surrounded by brick fence and three Buddhist halls in the courtyard. It is small in scale, with nine ridges of glass roof, cornices and brackets. It is simple and elegant, with the style of Tang and Song dynasties. In the west of the hall is the Dasheng pagoda, commonly known as Qinglong pagoda, which was built in the second year of Yuanyou (1087 AD) of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is octagonal in plane, with seven levels of body and about 17 meters in height. There are four pairs of iron men at the top of the tower. There are octagonal blue stone Scripture buildings in the temple, engraved with the Dharma Sutra and the temple. In front of the hall, there is a square incense Pavilion, a small Ling opera, supported by four stone pillars, with simple structure and antique flavor. Dengsi overlooking, surrounded by mountains, lush, overlooking the Zhanghe River, Pagoda Temple reflection can be discerned, looking west cottages, smoke plumes, unique taste.

Folklore

1： Luzhou records, mentioning the origin of Yuanqi temple, the predecessors left a beautiful and mysterious legend.

According to the records of Luzhou in Hongzhi period of Ming Dynasty, Fenghuang mountain was named tianzhonggang. It is said that Phoenix often inhabits here in Shennong. It is said that in ancient times, a fairy in Tiangong accidentally violated the rules of heaven. In a rage, the Jade Emperor sent the fairy down to earth.

At that time, there were wild mountains and few people here. When the fairy came to the world, she could not find a place to live. She was hungry and thirsty. When she came here, she suddenly saw that the water in Zhangzhou was clear and wanted to drink to quench her thirst. When she was drinking, the sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds, strong winds and thunderstorms. The fairy immediately turned into a phoenix and lay here like a spreading wing. This Phoenix has a head, eyes, neck, wings, tail and body. It is very lifelike and strange. Later generations named it Fenghuang mountain. And said that this landscape, wind main expensive, in the future will be a queen, imperial concubine. After several changes of dynasties, it reached the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, had a concubine Wu Mei before his expedition to the West. There are two ministers in front of Taizong hall, one is yuan Tiangang, the other is Li Chunfeng.

They are knowledgeable and have a good command of the past and the present. One day, when Emperor Taizong had nothing to do with going to court, he asked yuan and Li Aiqing, who will be responsible for your understanding of astronomy and geography and surveying the great Tang Dynasty? They pondered for a long time and said that if we master Shengjia, we will lose the hand of Wu in the future.

Related allusions

Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was very anxious and said that he would kill all the people with surname Wu in the world. They said, long live my Lord, no, your country is actually lost in the hands of gongzhongwumei. The king of Tang was puzzled and had no idea. Later, out of all kinds of helplessness, he forced Wu Mei out of the palace and went to an nunnery. And Prince Li Zhi earlier than Wu Mei disordered the palace.

After the death of Emperor Taizong, Li Zhi joined Wu Mei into the palace soon after he ascended the throne. After his concubine was transferred, Li Xian was passed on to the crown prince after his death. Because the Empress Wu interfered with the government, Li Xian was in power for less than a year, and then Li Dan was passed on, and Li Dan was usurped by Empress Wu. In the first year of Zaichu (690 AD), Empress Wu formally usurped power and ascended the throne. After more than 20 years of military death, Li Xian regained the title of Tang Dynasty. After Li Longji, the great grandson of Li Zhi, ascended the throne of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, he worried day and night that he might throw the Tang Dynasty into the hands of people with similar surnames. So he called together scholars and hermits who were proficient in astronomy and geography to visit famous mountains and precious places and build temples to prevent future troubles. When he found out that Wu's birthplace was in Shanxi, Li Longji appointed him to drive to Lucheng County, Luzhou Prefecture. He found the Phoenix Mountain on the Bank of Zhanghe River. He thought that the mountain was not only unique, but also rich. He confirmed that there would be a noble person in the future, either queen or imperial concubine. Without hesitation, Li Longji ordered the temple to be built and completed in the sixth year of Tianbao.

2： The green dragon pagoda declined in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Before Yuanyou was changed to Yuan Dynasty in Song Dynasty, a famous Royal geographer of yin and Yang traveled from Henan to Luze, Shanxi. He heard that there was a temple in Fenghuang Mountain built in Tang Dynasty, so he came here. In the viewing, I found a deep cave on the west side of the temple. The cave is deep and unfathomable, and there is Yin Qi coming out, which pervades the temple. From a distance, there are thousands of rays, which makes people dizzy. It is believed that this point is the throat of Phoenix, with smooth Qi and well ventilated pulse. Although the temple was built in the Tang Dynasty, there was no main vein to suppress it. If this vein was not controlled, there would be future trouble. After returning to the capital, he admonished the emperor and declared his interests. Zhao Xu, king of the Song Dynasty, ordered the allocation of imperial silver and decided to build the tower. Therefore, the Qinglong pagoda was built in the second year of Yuanyou. The pagoda rose from the ground and soared into the sky. It was a wonder.

tourist attraction

In addition to the above-mentioned legends of "fairy turning Phoenix", "Yama asking for life" and "cave connecting Zhangdi", Yuanqi temple also has natural, cultural, scenery and legends such as "phoenix eye measuring rain", "attacking Yuanqi temple at night", "sage building tower" and "iron man supporting dream". Surrounded by the national key cultural relics Dayun courtyard, Tiantai nunnery, anling temple, Longxiang temple, Yuwang temple and other historic sites, it is really a tourist attraction with a collection of scenic spots, wonders, beautiful mountains and rivers, and fascinating scenery.

Address: at the foot of Fenghuang mountain, 22 kilometers northeast of Lucheng City, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province

Longitude: 113.43202888361

Latitude: 36.353032407945

Chinese PinYin : Yuan Qi Si