Ancient Architecture Tour in Shanxi - The Wufeng Tower at Changzhi Yuhuang Temple

I finally made it to the other side of the Anywhere Door - Wufeng Tower! To see underground relics, go to Shaanxi; to see aboveground relics, go to Shanxi. It was only after a trip to Shanxi that I truly appreciated this saying. In southern Shanxi, there is a Yuhuang Temple located in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. The temple faces north and opens to the south, consisting of three courtyards in a row, with the main gate, offering pavilion, Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and the sleeping palace on the central axis, and the bell tower, drum tower, Wenchang Pavilion, side halls, turret halls, and corridors on the left and right. To the east of Wufeng Tower, there are newly completed buildings such as the Siyu Palace, Doumu Palace, and the sleeping palace. The most famous part of Yuhuang Temple is its main gate - Wufeng Tower. It is a large Taoist building, originally constructed during the Yuan Dynasty, and was renovated four times during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, and the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Tongzhi periods of the Qing Dynasty. From the front, Wufeng Tower has five layers of flying eaves, symbolizing 'five phoenixes spreading their wings,' which is said to commemorate the five daughters of the Jade Emperor. However, when you look at the tower from the side walls after entering the main gate, you will find that there are only four layers of flying eaves, which is an example of the 'five in light, four in shadow' technique used in ancient Chinese architecture. Inside Yuhuang Temple, there are five wonders - the Jingmu beam, the Sangmu ladder, the Bagua caisson, the single broken beam, and the seven arches with thirteen steps. Most of these wonders are located within Wufeng Tower. Jingmu Beam: Inside Wufeng Tower, two painted beams with a diameter of about 50 centimeters run through the top from front to back, known as the 'Jingmu beams.' Jingmu is a type of shrub, quite slender, usually used for weaving baskets. A Jingmu with a diameter of about 50 centimeters would need to grow for more than 3,000 years, making it a rare sight in China to use Jingmu as a beam. Sangmu Ladder: Inside Wufeng Tower, there is also a winding single-log ladder, slantingly placed under the beam. Despite the wear and tear of time and the trampling of countless people, it remains as sturdy as ever. This is the 'Sangmu ladder.' The mulberry is a deciduous tree or shrub, relatively short, with coarse wood, many branches, and prone to splitting, making it difficult to grow. However, the mulberry ladder inside Wufeng Tower was carved from the main trunk of a mulberry tree, 7.13 meters high, with a small end diameter of 42 centimeters and a large end diameter of 76 centimeters, with 15 steps carved out. According to the tree rings, it is about 500 years old. Such a large mulberry tree, where it grew and where it was cut down, remains unknown, which is quite rare. The beam is even more unique. Bagua Caisson: Inside Wufeng Tower, there are four round columns that reach the roof, and the caisson at the top is intricately constructed with dougong brackets and hanging lotus decorations, with very delicate wooden components. The massive caisson, like a flower cover treasure frame placed at the heart of the beam frame, makes the building particularly magnificent. Single Broken Beam: Passing through Wufeng Tower, you come to the offering pavilion, and above the east side of the pavilion, there is a large wood with obvious signs of breakage. Why would such a massive project use a broken beam? It is said to be for earthquake resistance and pressure reduction, showing the ancient people's ingenuity. The reason remains an unsolved mystery to this day. Seven Arches Thirteen Steps: Located at the northern end of the Yuhuang Temple complex is the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, which is tall and imposing. With four beams and eight columns, a single-eave hanging mountain roof, green glazed tiles, and eleven groups of four jumps and seven spreads making up thirteen steps of dougong brackets under the eaves, it is densely packed and rarely seen in ancient architecture.