[2025 Hancheng Attraction] Travel Guide for Puzhao Temple (Updated Mar)

In Weinan, two hours away from Xi'an by train, I found a truly living small city on the Yellow River in Shaanxi called "Hancheng". "Hancheng in the Records of the Grand Historian, the Wind Chasing Sima" This is the hometown of Sima Qian, the author of Records of the Grand Historian, and it was also the low-key and prosperous Rui State in the Spring and Autumn Period. With its well-preserved ancient city from the Ming and Qing dynasties, Dangjia Village, a treasure of residential buildings, and one-sixth of the country's existing Yuan Dynasty buildings, Hancheng still stands out even in the Guanzhong Plain with its profound cultural heritage. Trip Planning Day 1: Yuxiu Bridge - Hancheng Ancient City - Confucian Temple (Hancheng Museum) - Dongying Temple - Chenghuang Temple - Beiying Temple - Jiulang Temple - Sima Qian Temple Day 2: Dayu Temple - Rui State Ruins Museum - Puzhao Temple (Yuan Dynasty Architecture Museum) - Fawang Temple - Dangjia Village Attractions 1. Hancheng Old Town: Hancheng Old Town is still one of the few ancient towns I have visited that has not been overdeveloped. It starts from the Yuxiu Bridge of the Qing Dynasty, passes through three Yuan structures and two Ming structures, and ends at the Ganggangzhai Tower. The ancient city of Hancheng is using six national protected sites, intricate bracket sets and colorful glazed feasts to feast the eyes of visitors. 2. Liangdai Village Rui State Ruins Museum: The excavation of the jade pig dragon has made this vassal state that existed from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period full of unsolved mysteries. Tens of thousands of exquisite gold and bronze wares present this low-key and wealthy Rui Kingdom to the world. 3. Puzhao Temple: Based on Puzhao Temple, many Yuan Dynasty buildings were moved here to form the Yuan Dynasty Architecture Museum. The mountain gate is the former offering hall on the top of the hanging mountain of Tianyuan Temple. The main hall has colored sculptures of Buddha and painted caissons from the Yuan Dynasty. 4. Dangjia Village: A 700-year-old ancient village dominated by the Dang and Jia surnames. Influenced by the Shanxi merchant culture on the other side of the Yellow River, most villagers are engaged in business. Walking along the ancient roads from the Ming and Qing dynasties here, and looking at the original dwellings, ancient towers, and ancestral halls, you can feel that Bailuyuan is still "alive." 5. Sima Qian Temple: It was first built in the third year of Yongjia in the Western Jin Dynasty (310 AD) to commemorate Sima Qian. There are ancient stone tablets and Sima Qian's tomb in the Sima Qian Temple. The roads leading up the mountain are all ancient, and the ruts left by carriages and horses are marks of the long river of time, which is very impressive. Useful Information 🎫Tickets: Free for the ancient city, 50 for the Confucian Temple, 20 for the Puzhao Temple, and 80 for the Sima Qian Temple. 🚄Transportation: Xi'an → Hancheng, drive for 2 to 3 hours. It is recommended to rest at Fuping Service Area. You can also take the bullet train, but there are fewer trains. The taxi fare in Hancheng is not high, you can take a taxi for the entire journey, and you can ride shared electric motorcycles in most areas. 🍕Delicious food: mutton noodles, mutton soup with steamed buns, pepper and black yogurt. I heard that the local wontons are also very delicious. 🏨Accommodation: The hotel is located near Hancheng Central Plaza, with lively surroundings, convenient transportation, and a full range of food and drinks.

． Li Bai's poem says: The Yellow River flows from the west and breaks through Kunlun, roaring for thousands of miles out of Longmen. The Longmen here is the Yumenkou of the Yellow River at the junction of Hancheng, Shaanxi and Shanxi. Hancheng is the second batch of historical and cultural cities announced by the state. It not only has a long history with the Rui State Tomb of the Western Zhou Dynasty, but also has ancient relics such as Yumenkou and Sima Qian Temple, as well as more than 20 wooden structures from the Yuan Dynasty and an ancient city from the Ming and Qing Dynasties with a complete layout. In terms of the density of architectural remains from the Yuan Dynasty, Hancheng is not only the only one in Shaanxi, but also the leader in the whole country. If you want to visit buildings before the Yuan Dynasty, Puzhao Temple in Hancheng, Shaanxi is a must-visit place. Puzhao Temple itself is a Buddhist temple. At the end of the last century, Hancheng City successively relocated four groups of ancient buildings from the Yuan and Jin dynasties that were on the verge of collapse to this place. While protecting the ancient buildings, it also formed the largest Yuan Dynasty building complex in Hancheng, with a total of 12 sites, which is truly a "Yuan Dynasty Architecture Museum." Tour sequence: Mountain Gate: The main hall of Tianyuan Temple was relocated here and used as the main gate of Puzhao Temple. It has a gable roof and the iconic large eaves of the Yuan Dynasty appear under the brackets. There are two thick, round, octagonal stone pillars in the front and rear eaves. As expected, an inscription from the fourth year of Cheng'an in the Jin Dynasty (1199) was discovered on the rear eaves column. From the overall style point of view, the main hall of Tianyuan Temple is still mellow, but it is more simple and rugged.

Not far from Dangjia Village is Puzhao Temple. The entrance fee is CNY 20 and you can admire the Yuan Dynasty architectural style of the temple. Puzhao Temple was built in 1316 and has been repaired many times. Because the ancient temples in Hancheng are scattered and inconvenient to protect, the local cultural relics protection department has gradually moved some of them to Puzhao Temple, which not only protects the cultural relics, but also allows tourists to appreciate more Yuan Dynasty architectural masterpieces without having to travel far.