Yuhuang Temple of Zezhou

Yuhuang Temple sits on a northern hillock in Fucheng Village, Zezhou County, 13 kilometres northeast of downtown Jincheng. Facing south, the temple is laid out as a three-courtyard complex in a rectangular plan. It stretches 110 metres from north to south and 32 metres from east to west, containing 110 halls, towers and pavilions within a total area of 3,520 square metres, forming a large ancient architectural complex.

Along the central axis from south to north stand the first main gate, the secondary gate, Cheng Tang Hall, the offering pavilion and the Jade Emperor Hall, flanked by the eastern and western side halls. The side corridors house the Hall of the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Hall of the Twelve Earthly Branches, the Hall of the Thirteen Luminaries, Guan Emperor Hall and the Silkworm God Hall, together with wing rooms, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. The buildings stand closely arranged in neat layers.

The first gate, the secondary gate, the deity offering pavilion and the Jade Emperor Hall are aligned on the same central axis. Two stele corridors were built in front of the first gate, preserving historical records of the temple’s evolution. After entering the first gate lies the front courtyard, which has no main hall. The secondary gate stands right in the centre. The eastern and western side corridors once enshrined gods including the God of Literature, the God of Wind and the God of Rain, but these statues have long been lost. The first gate features a single-eaved overhanging gable roof decorated with glazed tiles. Its ornaments complement the peacock-blue glazed components atop the Bell and Drum Towers, forming a bright and colourful ensemble. The offering pavilion has a single-eaved hip roof. Its brackets are carved with dragon heads and elephant trunks, and the building corners tilt upward outward.

Passing through the secondary gate, visitors enter the middle courtyard. The main building here is the Offering Hall, also known as Cheng Tang Hall. Standing at the courtyard centre, this wooden pavilion is three bays wide and six rafters deep with a plain single-eaved gable roof. It houses the statue of King Cheng Tang, alongside three wooden attic structures.

The eastern side hall is the Eastern Mountain Hall, dedicated to Huang Feihu, the Great Emperor of Eastern Mountain, his wife Lady Jia, their son Huang Tianhua, and his generals Huang Ming, Zhou Ji, Long Huan and Wu Qian. The western side hall is the Three Kings Hall, enshrining the Ox God, Horse God and the God of Wealth, all with bizarre facial features.

Further side halls include the Medicine King Hall and the Five Paths God Hall as well as the Matchmaker Shrine, with statues of the Medicine King, the Five Generals and King Wen and his spouse. On the southern side, the western hall holds Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva together with the Ten Yama Kings, while the eastern hall is the Six Plague Gods Hall.

The main hall in the rear courtyard is the Jade Emperor Hall. It has a single-eaved hip roof, three bays in width and six rafters in depth, fitted with plank doors and straight-lattice windows. The stone plinths below the window sills are polished with carved flowers and birds. The column bases are shaped like inverted lotus petals. The round wooden columns have entasis and outward tilted corners, supported by four-layer brackets with true cantilevers. The whole building features rigorous structural design, elegant shape and delicate carvings. Its thick beams, columns and brackets, together with doors, walls and relief brick ornaments on the altar, still retain the architectural style of the Song and Jin dynasties.

The main hall enshrines the Jade Emperor and celestial lords of all constellations. The left and right side halls contain statues of the Three Enclosures and Four Sages. The eastern and western corridors hold sculptures of the Nine Luminaries, Six Divine Ministers, the Twelve Earthly Branches and the Twenty-Eight Constellations.