Black Dragon Temple in Lin County

Black Dragon Temple stands on Tiger Crouching Hill in Qikou Town, at the mouth of the Qiu River in the southern end of Lin County吕梁市人民.... According to the inscription on the stele recording the renovation of the Bell and Drum Towers in the 21st year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1756 AD), the temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty. An opera tower was added during the Yongzheng reign, and the main hall together with the east and west side halls were reconstructed in the Daoguang reign.

The magnificent temple covers a total area of 4,800 square metres. It is the landmark building of Qikou and one of the core scenic spots in the Qikou tourist area. Standing at the gate, you can overlook the surging Yellow River in the distance, watch the winding Qiu River nearby, listen to the roaring waves of the two river shoals, and get a full view of the ancient town.

Constructed in the Ming Dynasty, the temple enshrines the Black Dragon God, God of Rivers, God of Wind, Emperor Guan Shengdi and Hua Tuo. Local merchants prayed here for safe river transportation, honest business dealings, prosperous trade and good health for all. Emperor Guan deserves special mention. Temples dedicated to Guan Yu were erected in every county across Shanxi. The loyal, righteous and valiant Guan Yu was revered by Shanxi merchants as their God of Wealth, patron saint and even founding ancestor, for he once traded grain. He served as the spiritual bond uniting the Shanxi merchant group, just as Zhu Xi was worshipped by Huizhou merchants.

Facing southwest from the northeast, the temple nestles between mountains and rivers. Along the central axis stands the mountain gate with three stone archways. In front of the gate is a three-bay entrance hall, on top of which rises a gate tower with a hip-and-gable roof. The two-storey tower is fully supported by eight huge wooden columns. Adjoining the tower is an inverted opera stage, which is connected seamlessly with the front building. The stage has an ogee roof trimmed with glazed tiles, presenting an elegant and splendid appearance. Flanking the opera tower are the Bell Tower and Drum Tower with cross hip-and-gable roofs. Though modest in size, they are exquisitely built with unique charm.

The main hall is three bays wide and two bays deep, with a gable roof. Inside sits the King Black Dragon. The east and west side halls enshrine the God of Rivers and the God of Wealth respectively, while other deities including the Granary God, Golden Dragon God and temple boy each have their own niches. In addition, there are 22 auxiliary buildings including east and west side halls, viewing terraces and covered corridors.

Over more than 300 years since its founding, repeated renovations have brought the whole complex into a well-proportioned, symmetrical and spectacular layout. Perched steeply on the cliff, the temple features painted beams and carved rafters with simple antique elegance, pleasing every visitor. Leaning against the corridor and looking down, you will see the roaring Yellow River and murmuring Qiu River stretching far, with the entire ancient Qikou Town unfolding before your eyes. Mountains, rivers, the ancient town and the temple set off each other beautifully amid the grand Yellow River valley, making the site famous throughout Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces.

The acoustic effect of the opera tower is extraordinary. Without any loudspeakers, the singing can be heard crisply several miles away even for an audience of ten thousand people. Hence the local saying: "The Yellow River echoes the tune, and the Qiu River accompanies the singing." During traditional temple fairs and festivals, crowds of tourists from both sides of the Yellow River would trudge up the steep mountain road to visit the temple.

Four stone steles remain intact inside the temple. One stele recording the renovation of Black Dragon Temple in the year of Guimao during the Daoguang reign was written and inscribed by Wang Jixian, prefect of Yongning Prefecture. Two couplets are carved on the mountain gate. The first reads: Prosperous population and abundant goods make it a small metropolis;

The river’s roar and mountain scenery compose a grand masterpiece. It was composed and written by Cui Bingwen, a local scholar, in the second month of spring in the year of Guimao of the Daoguang reign.

The second couplet goes: Mountains and rivers gather men of talent along the river bend;

Gentle weather and favourable seasons bring peace and harmony to all living things. This was written by Prefect Wang Jixian in the year of Yisi.

Wang Jixian was not only a brilliant literary writer but also an accomplished calligrapher renowned in the imperial capital. The Korean royal court repeatedly sent envoys to ask him to write the four characters "Jian Mei Ling Yan". He readily obliged, and the envoys returned fully satisfied. The Qing Emperor rewarded him with four thousand taels of silver, giving rise to the praise that "each character is worth a thousand taels of gold".

The temple underwent two rounds of renovation in 1988 and 1990 with financial support from the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and public donations, and it has been well preserved up to the present day.