Beizhen Temple was first constructed in the 14th year of the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty (594 AD), originally named the Shrine of the God of Yiwulu Mountain. In the 4th year of the Dading reign of the Jin Dynasty (1164 AD), the temple was reconstructed and renamed the Shrine of Guangning God. In the 2nd year of the Dade reign of the Yuan Dynasty (1298 AD), Yiwulu Mountain was conferred the title King Zhende Guangning. After expansion, the shrine was renamed the Shrine of King Guangning, which was destroyed by the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In the 3rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD), the temple was rebuilt on the original site and officially named Beizhen Temple.

Facing south and built against the mountain, Beizhen Temple stretches 240 metres from north to south and 109 metres from east to west. Along the central axis, structures stand in sequence from south to north: the stone archway, the main gate, the Divine Horse Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, Imperial Incense Hall, Main Hall, Robe-changing Hall, Inner Incense Hall and the Divine Emperor’s Bedchamber. Fifty-six stone steles dating back to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are preserved inside the temple. To the east lie the ruins of the Guangning Imperial Palace built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty.

Beizhen Temple is the official mountain god shrine for Yiwulu Mountain, with its earliest buildings dating back to the Jin Dynasty. According to inscriptions on stone tablets, the existing buildings were largely renovated and expanded in the 19th year of the Yongle reign (1421 AD) and the 8th year of the Hongzhi reign (1495 AD) of the Ming Dynasty.

The Imperial Incense Hall consists of five rooms, where imperial calligraphy, incense, candles and sacrificial offerings from the royal court were kept. Behind it stands the Main Hall, the architectural centre and the largest building of the whole complex. It is 23.4 metres wide, with seven front bays and five depth bays, serving as the venue for grand sacrificial ceremonies. Constructed with a large wooden frame and a hip-and-gable roof, the hall is enclosed by blue brick walls and topped with green glazed tiles. The beams and brackets are richly carved, while columns and purlins are painted vermilion red. Thirty-two portraits of famous civil and military officials from the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty are painted on the walls. The figures are vividly depicted with bright colours still well preserved. A clay statue of the God of Beizhen Mountain is enshrined in the hall. Hanging right in the centre is a bronze imperial plaque inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty with four characters: Qian Shi Shen Qu (The Divine Land Where Creation Begins).

Behind the Main Hall are three Robe-changing Halls, where worshippers changed their clothes before entering the main hall for rituals. Further north stand three Inner Incense Halls for storing local officials’ tributes and incense supplies. The northernmost building is the Bedchamber, the private residence of the mountain god, second only to the Main Hall in scale. An imperial plaque inscribed by Emperor Kangxi with the phrase Yu Cong Jia Qi (Lush Mountains Filled with Auspicious Vitality) is mounted above the lintel. The Main Hall is surrounded by white stone balustrades.

Within the temple compound stand four celebrated scenic wonders since ancient times: the Green Cloud Screen, Chessboard Hill, Xiulan Pavilion and ancient pine trees, which have long won high praise from visitors.

The Green Cloud Screen sits in the northwest corner of the temple. It is a huge natural rock over three metres across, standing upright like a folding screen. In rainy seasons, green moss covers the stone surface just like floating green clouds, hence its name. A cave runs through the rock from north to south, so it is also known as Hollow Hill. The upper edge of the cave curves like a hunchback, resembling a hanging chime, so locals also call it Hunchback Hill. A folk saying goes: “Walk through Hunchback Hill, and your waist and legs will no longer ache.” Every tourist is eager to walk through the cave for good fortune.

Chessboard Hill is located in the northeastern corner of the temple, namely the northeast corner of the imperial garden of the former Guangning Imperial Palace. It is a massive natural rock rising abruptly from the ground, about four metres high. Visitors can climb up nineteen stone steps to reach the top. A four-cornered pavilion once stood here but was ruined long ago. An ancient chessboard was carved on the foundation stone, flanked by two natural stone seats for two players. Emperor Qianlong played chess here during his stay in Guangning Imperial Palace, so the rock got its name Chessboard Hill.

Altogether fifty-six stone steles from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are preserved here:

These stone tablets bear high archaeological and calligraphic value.

Beizhen Temple is the only well-preserved shrine among the Five Great Guardian Mountain Temples nationwide, carrying tremendous historical and artistic significance. It was listed as one of the Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (the fourth batch) in 1988.