Yuncheng, known as "Hedong" in ancient times, is located in southern Shanxi, overlooking Shaanxi and Henan across the Yellow River, Luliang to the north, and Zhongtiao Mountain to the east. It has been famous as the "City of Salt Transport" since ancient times. This treasure land can be called a "land of outstanding people", with talents emerging in large numbers since ancient times. There are famous Hou Ji, Lei Zu, Feng Hou, Sima Guang, Liu Zongyuan, Wang Wei, Wang Bo, Guan Hanqing and so on. Of course, Guan Gong is a household name among the people, and everyone knows it. By following the footsteps of these celebrities, you can not only learn more about their lives, but also gain a deeper understanding of the context of our history and cultural development.
Guan Gong's hometown - "Jiezhou Guandi Temple"
Because Guan Gong was loyal and loyal throughout his life, he is the most famous among the people. Looking at the north and south of the Yangtze River, Chinese people at home and abroad, whether they are studying People who are engaged in entertainment, entertainment, or business have historically regarded Guan Gong as their patron saint. Guan Yu, also known as Yunchang, was born in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He followed Liu Bei and founded the Shu Han Dynasty in the troubled times. Those who are familiar with "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" will naturally know the story of Guan Gong's loyalty and bravery throughout his life. It is precisely because of his excellent qualities that not only the people's belief in Guan Gong was formed, but also the official people strongly worshiped Guan Gong. After successive emperors praised and ennobled him for his virtue of "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism", the development process of "a lord is a king, a king is an emperor, an emperor is a saint, and a saint is heaven" was formed. Guan Yu was eventually regarded as a "sage". The birthplace of this saint is Jie (hai) County, Hedong County, which is Jiezhou in today's Yuncheng.
There is the largest Guandi Temple in the country in Jiezhou, which can be called the "ancestor of the martial arts temple". Just as there is the largest Confucius Temple in the country in Qufu, people in their hometown always want to maximize the saints who come from here. propaganda. Following the name of Guan Gong, the first stop of my trip to Yuncheng was of course Jiezhou.
This temple was built in the late Chen Dynasty and early Sui Dynasty. It has been repaired and rebuilt over the years. It is large in scale and has preserved the exquisite inscriptions and plaques of many emperors since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In particular, the architecture of the Chunqiu Tower, where it is said that Guan Gong read "Spring and Autumn" at night, is even more exquisite.
The main body of the temple adopts the architectural pattern of central axis symmetry and palace-style architecture. The main buildings such as Duanmen, Meridian Gate, Yushu Tower, Chongning Hall, and Chunqiu Tower are distributed on the central axis. Judging from the names of Duanmen and Meridian Gate, which only exist in royal buildings, it can be seen that the regulations of Guandi Temple are very high. On both sides and in front of the main temple are the Drum Tower and Hu Gong Temple. There are nearly a hundred ancient building complexes such as Jieyi Garden, Junzi Pavilion, and Imperial Garden.
The Four Dragon Walls, which were fired during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, have a history of more than 560 years. Different from the Nine Dragon Walls in Datong and Beijing, the Four Dragon Walls in Guandi Temple in Jiezhou were built because Guan Yu was sealed off after his death. Being an emperor should be different from ordinary real dragon emperors. In front of the door there is a "mendang" composed of three iron pillars, which means "civilian officials dismount their sedan chairs and military attachés dismount their horses." Even high-ranking officials have to walk into the temple when they arrive here.
The Yushu Building has the imperial inscriptions of emperors of all dynasties. In addition to its exquisite cornices and brackets, this building is also worth mentioning its "Bagua Bugong". Under the brackets is placed a plaque with the imperial inscription "Holy God Civil and Military" "(from "Book·Dayu Mo").
Going through the Royal Library is the Chongning Hall. The construction age of this hall is unknown. It is said that in the third year of Chongning (1104 AD), Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty named Guan Yu the "True King of Chongning". , named "Chongning Hall". There are 69 pillars around the main hall, 62 beautifully carved railings, and 26 Panlong stone pillars. The statues of emperors and related public figures sit in the main hall with solemn expressions, which are awe-inspiring. Plaques with the names "Divine Brave" (appointed by Emperor Qianlong), "Extreme Humanity of All Worlds" (imperial script of Xianfeng), and "Yi Bing Qian Kun" (imperial script of Kangxi) are hung inside and outside the hall.
The building at the end of the central axis is the most important building complex of Guandi Temple - "Chunqiu Tower" (also known as "Linjing Pavilion"). This building was acquired by Guan Yu after he read the Spring and Autumn Period. name. It is seven rooms wide and six rooms deep. It is a two-story hillside building with double eaves and is surrounded by two-story corridors. You can lean on the railings and overlook the distance. The most noteworthy thing is the "suspended beams and columns" on the outer eaves of the building. This kind of mechanically supported beams and columns is very unique and unique. It is an isolated example among the existing ancient buildings. The exquisite "suspended beams and hanging columns" combined with the complicated cornices and brackets, carved carvings, wooden partitions, and glazed tiles give people a beautiful and profound impression.
The third highlight of Chunqiu Tower is the "stereotypical early autumn", which unfortunately is not displayed to the public.
The resounding titles of "Saint", "Great Emperor" and "True King" embody the true meaning of Guan Gong's culture - loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and courage, and integrate China's unique combination of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. A cultural phenomenon that unites Chinese people at home and abroad and has been passed down through the ages.