[2025 Yongji Attraction] Travel Guide for Wangu Temple (Updated Apr)

A hidden gem in the mountains, this ancient temple was praised by Liang Sicheng as a "beamless national treasure"✨ An ancient temple hidden in the mountains, where you can hear the sound of Buddhist chants in the clouds On the mountainside of Zhongtiao Mountain in Yongji, Yuncheng Lies a "six-absolute ancient temple" that is 300 years older than the Shaolin Temple There are no crowds of tourists, only dappled shadows of trees The wind blows the eaves and bells, and the birds sing in the empty mountains It is like a secret Buddhist kingdom forgotten by time🌿 ▫️An architectural miracle in Liang Sicheng's manuscript ✅ Ming Dynasty beamless hall—one of only three beamless brick buildings in China ✅ Plaque of "Zhongtiao's First Zen Forest"

|Explore the Ancient Temple of Zhongtiao Mountain. Wangong Temple was built in the third year of the Zhengguang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (522 AD). It was originally named "Youzai Temple" and was rebuilt in the Sui Dynasty and renamed Wangong Temple, meaning "eternal stability." Wangong Temple is known as the "First Zen Forest of Zhongtiao" and its main attractions include the Duobao Pagoda and the Wuliang Hall. The Duobao Pagoda is an octagonal, thirteen-story pagoda known as the "First Pagoda of China," which predates the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an by 130 years. The Wuliang Hall is one of only four remaining Wuliang Halls in China, and the only two-story building, making it a miracle in the history of Chinese architecture. The temple is located at the foot of Zhongtiao Mountain, in a quiet environment with evergreen pines and cypresses. The Tang Dynasty poet Geng Hui once overlooked the river here and left behind a famous poem: "The clouds open at midnight, and the villages are quiet; the moon rises in the middle of the peak, and the valleys are bright." The Wuliang Hall is one of the most distinctive buildings in Wangong Temple. This two-story building is entirely made of bricks and stones, without a single beam or column. This unique architectural structure is a testament to the wisdom and skill of the ancients. The exterior of the Wuliang Hall is majestic and magnificent, while the interior houses various Buddha statues and scriptures, making it an important place for believers to worship and practice. In addition to these main buildings, Wangong Temple also has a "Picture of the Eighteen Arhats," which is carved on the stone walls on both sides. One side is carved with ten Arhats, while the other side is carved with eight Arhats, all of which are vivid and lifelike. Tickets: 35 Opening hours: 08:30–18:00 daily

📍Address: Located 300 meters south of Shengli Village, Guxin Village, Puzhou Town, Yongji City, facing west, built against the mountain. 🚗Transportation: It's not easy to get there, it's a mountain road, it's good to drive by yourself, but there is no parking lot, it's a piece of loess, the slope is very steep and you can't drive up, you can only walk up by yourself. 👍️Highlights: The most beautiful is the brick tower of Wangu Temple, which is well preserved. It is an octagonal plane with thirteen levels and a dense eaves style, about fifty meters high. The tower body is made of green brick and water mill, which looks very good. We were not allowed to go in when we were repairing it, which was a pity. 🎟️Ticket related: 30 yuan 💗Other tips: The beamless hall and the pharmacist's cave are also worth seeing, and there are monks guarding there, looking very pious.

🌿🏯【Exploring Zhongtiao Mountain】A Temple and a Pagoda, Flowing Through Time —— Wangu Temple, Witness of Time🌿🏯 🕒Opening Hours: From Dawn to Dusk (8:30-17:00) 💸Tickets: Free of Charge 📍Address: Puzhou Town, Yongji, Yuncheng, Shanxi, National Treasure (Eighth Batch of National Protected Units) 🌟Highlights: Duobao Pagoda, Wuliang Hall 🌟【Wangu Temple: The Precipitation of Time】 Wangu Temple, an ancient temple bearing the vicissitudes of history, was originally named "Youzai Temple" and was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was later rebuilt after being destroyed by war and renamed during the Sui Dynasty, meaning "eternal stability." After the great earthquake during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, only the Duobao Pagoda stood alone, fortunately restored by Master Miaofeng during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. 🏰【Duobao Pagoda: Witness of History】 Built in the third year of Zhengguang during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Duobao Pagoda is one of the earliest existing pavilion-style pagodas in China. The octagonal conical pagoda body, with eight trigrams and thirteen layers of dense eaves, towers into the sky. The sound of wind chimes is like celestial music. Inside the pagoda were once enshrined four treasures: jade Buddha, treasure vase, relics, and golden Buddhist scriptures, hence the name "Duobao" (Many Treasures). The pagoda body is solid, standing firm even after an eight-magnitude earthquake, a miracle of ancient architectural techniques. 🏛️【Wuliang Hall: Ingenious Craftsmanship】 Wuliang Hall, also known as Wuliang Hall, is famous for its unique brick structure. The masterpiece of Master Miaofeng, it enshrines the Buddha of Infinite Life, facing east to west. The pure brick structure has two levels, with three cave openings in the middle. The eaves are intricately carved, and the two dragons playing with a pearl relief on the shadow walls on both sides are treasures of Ming Dynasty brick carving art. 📜【Legends and Poetry】 According to legend, Wangu Temple and Yingying Pagoda of Pujue Temple are witnesses of the master-disciple competition, with one pagoda and one temple echoing each other, known as sister pagodas. Tang Dynasty poet Geng Hui left an eternal verse here: "The clouds open at midnight, and the villages are quiet; the moon rises over the peak, and the valleys are bright," allowing future generations to glimpse the magnificent scenery of the time. 🏞️【Climbing the Pagoda for a Distant View】 Climbing the Duobao Pagoda, you can see Pujue Temple and Guanque Tower in the distance, feeling the weight of history and the beauty of nature. Each climb is a spiritual cleansing, and each distant view is an opportunity to converse with the ancients. 🌟🏞️Come and explore the mystery and beauty of Wangu Temple with me, feeling the flow of time and the precipitation of history.

Wangu Temple, founded during the Yuan and Wei dynasties, is originally named 'Yao Zai Temple' according to the 'Yongji County Chronicles'. After renovations during the Sui dynasty, it was renamed Wangu Temple, symbolizing 'eternal solidity'. The Tang dynasty poet Geng Hui once left the verse 'Clouds part in the middle of the night, a thousand villages in silence; the moon rises over the central peak, illuminating a myriad of ravines'. The poet Liu Shiqi also wrote the beautiful lines 'A green shade forms over a bamboo path, the wind chimes on the pagoda sound like music from beyond the heavens'. There are many Buddhist pagodas in Wangu Temple, among which the earliest, the Multi-Treasure Buddhist Pagoda, was built in 522 AD and is one of the earliest Buddhist pagodas in Chinese tower architecture. There is also the 'Beamless Hall' built against the cliff from east to west on the east side of the ancient pagoda. Designed by the architectural master and Zen master Miaofeng, it takes a different approach by using bricks for construction, with the top shaped like a dome caisson. The most eye-catching feature is the three huge hemispherical domed ceilings on the second floor of the Wuliang Hall, which are cleverly decorated with imitation bracket sets made of bricks on the inner surface, setting a precedent for the use of brick caisson bracket set decorations in religious buildings. The application of this elongated hemispherical dome load-bearing roof technique in religious buildings is a good continuation of China's traditional brick arch technology, creating a magnificent bracket set decorated dome caisson ceiling, elevating bricklaying to an ultimate state, and its preservation to this day is astonishing. Tips: The entrance is free, and compared to other popular temples, this place is more serene and the historical relics are well-preserved. It is very worthwhile to spend half a day to a full day here for a detailed visit. The cats raised by the monks in the temple are also very quiet and friendly, very adorable. √ The opening hours in summer are from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm; in winter, the opening hours are from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

🚙 It wasn't originally planned, but after seeing the introduction to the sights of Yongji under the Stork Tower, I added the not-too-distant Wangu Temple on a whim. ⛩️ Wangu Temple was founded in 522 AD, the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and has a history of over 1500 years. It is a sacred place of Zen Buddhism. At its peak, there were as many as 5000 lay Buddhists living here, earning it the nickname 'Little Wutai'. It has been praised by many high monks as the 'premier Zen monastery'. 🛕 The Multitreasure Pagoda of Wangu Temple The Multitreasure Pagoda of Wangu Temple was originally built in the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty. After Puzhou experienced a major earthquake, which people called 'the sky falling on Puzhou', the pagoda collapsed in the earthquake. The current Multitreasure Pagoda was rebuilt during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, with the then Prime Minister Zhang Siwei inscribing the plaque 'Multitreasure Pagoda', which is still clearly recognizable today. The Multitreasure Pagoda is 54.666 meters high, with eight sides, eight edges, and an octagonal shape with thirteen levels, and is known as 'China's number one pagoda', predating the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an by 130 years. It has been extensively recorded in the poetry of famous poets from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It is listed as a key national cultural relic protected by the eighth batch. 📍 Address: 1.5 kilometers west of the Yongji West exit of the Yunfeng Expressway in Puzhou Town, Yongji City, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province 🈺️ Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 (entry stops at 16:30) 🎫 Ticket: Free admission

👉The Duobao Pagoda of Wangu Temple is more than 160 years older than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an and taller than the Yingying Pagoda of Puji Temple. It is said that the master built the Duobao Pagoda of Wangu Temple, and the apprentice built the Yingying Pagoda of Puji Temple. 👉Only the brick tower, beamless hall and medicine master cave remain now, and the others were built later. ✨Duobao Pagoda---built in 522 AD, it is the earliest pagoda in Chinese tower architecture. There is a pomegranate tree growing on the top of the pagoda. It is several decades old. It grows in spring and summer, and is lush and green, which is quite unique. ✨The most eye-catching thing is that there are three huge hemispherical domes on the second floor of the Wuliang Hall, and the inner surface is cleverly decorated with imitation bracket bricks, setting a precedent for the use of brick caisson bracket decoration in religious buildings. ✨The application of this elongated hemispherical dome-style load-bearing roof technology in religious buildings has inherited my country's traditional brick arch technology very well, forming a gorgeous bracket-decorated dome-top caisson, which has elevated the bricklaying technology to an extreme state and is amazingly preserved to this day. 🎈Tickets: Free💰 Compared with other popular temples, this place is quieter and the ancient monuments are well preserved. 🎈Opening hours Summer: 6:30am-7:00pm Winter: 8:00am-6:00pm [Opening hours may also change depending on circumstances] 🚗Route: Navigate directly🔍Search for Yongji Wangu Temple ⚠️Note: Some areas in the temple are under renovation and construction🚧🚧

Wanggu Temple, located 300 meters south of Shengli Village, Guxin Zhuang, Puzhou Town, Yongji City, faces east and west, built against the mountain. It is 200 meters long from east to west, 100 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of 20,000 square meters. In October 2019, Wanggu Temple in Yongji was designated by the State Council as the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. According to inscriptions in the temple, Wanggu Temple was founded in the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (522 AD), rebuilt in the eighth year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (854 AD), became a famous temple in Hedong during the Song Dynasty, underwent multiple renovations during the Hongwu and Tianshun eras of the Ming Dynasty, was destroyed by an earthquake in the thirty-fourth year of the Jiajing era (1555 AD), and was rebuilt during the Wanli era (1573-1620 AD), forming its present layout. Wanggu Temple is built on a mountain, with a brick plaque inscribed with 'The First Zen Forest' above the mountain gate. Entering the gate leads to the Mahavira Hall, also known as the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, a brick and stone structure from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, with solemn walls but no surviving Buddha statues. Ascending the stone steps beside the temple, in the middle is the Medicine Buddha Cave with five rooms, each with a door and three bracket sets with five brackets each, housing the Medicine Buddha. Further up is the Pagoda Courtyard, surrounded by carved walls, with the Sakyamuni Pagoda standing in the center, an octagonal plane thirteen-tiered dense-eave style brick pagoda, 54.6 meters high. The pagoda is made of blue bricks and has a significant taper from top to bottom. The temple preserves 22 steles from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and four stone carvings of the Pilu Pavilion's water and land. The bottom layer of the pagoda has a door on the south side, with a spiral staircase inside, leading to the top. From afar, the southward flow of the Yellow River resembles a winding golden belt. Behind the pagoda is the Infinite Hall, five bays wide and two stories high, housing the Infinite Life Buddha. The hall is made of blue bricks, carved with floral patterns and bracket sets, and has no beam structure, commonly known as the Beamless Hall. The last structure in the temple is the Arhat Hall, near the mountain peak. The temple originally housed sixty-three celestial images painted by Wu Zhou Cao of the Tang Dynasty, which have long since perished. Now, four engraved Arhat images remain, vivid in expression, retaining the legacy of the Tang Dynasty.

Yongji Wangu Temple is located in Luyu Village, Puzhou Town, Yongji City. According to the inscription, the temple was established in the third year of Zhengguang of the Northern Wei Dynasty (522), rebuilt in the eighth year of Dazhong of the Tang Dynasty (854), and was a famous temple in Hedong during the Song Dynasty. It was rebuilt many times during the Hongwu and Tianshun periods of the Ming Dynasty. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 34th year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1555), and was rebuilt during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620), known as the "First Zen Forest in Zhongtiao". The original central axis from west to east includes the bell tower, drum tower, Daxiong Hall, Yaoshi Cave, Shuilu Hall, Duobao Buddha Pagoda, Wuliang Hall, Sutra Collection Pavilion, etc. There were originally Wangu Sub-Temple, East and West Monk Temples, and Arhat Hall on the south side. Only Yaoshi Cave, Duobao Buddha Pagoda, and Wuliang Hall are left, which are of Ming Dynasty architectural style. On October 7, 2019, it was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Wangu Temple, founded in the third year of Zhengguang in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 522), has a history of 1500 years. According to the 'Yongji County Chronicles', it was originally named 'Caizai Temple'. After being rebuilt in the Sui Dynasty, it was renamed Wangu Temple, meaning 'eternal for thousands of years'. During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the court incorporated nearby temples into Wangu Temple, making it a grand and highly revered Buddhist holy land, known as the 'first Zen forest in Zhongtiao'. Tang Dynasty poet Geng Hui left the verse 'Clouds open at midnight, a thousand villages are quiet, the moon rises in the middle peak, ten thousand ravines are bright' here. Poet Liu Shiqi wrote the beautiful lines 'A bamboo path is shaded green, the wind chimes on the tower sound beyond the sky'. There are many Buddhist pagodas in Wangu Temple, the earliest of which, the Duobao Buddhist Pagoda, was built in AD 522 and is the earliest Buddhist pagoda in Chinese tower architecture. There is also the 'Beamless Hall' built against the cliff on the east side of the ancient pagoda, facing west. It was designed by the architectural master and monk Miaofeng, who took a unique approach and built it entirely with bricks, with the top forming a dome-shaped caisson. The most eye-catching is the three huge hemispherical domes inside the second floor of the Wuliang Hall, which are cleverly decorated with imitation bracket arch bricks, setting a precedent for the use of brick caisson and bracket arch decoration in religious buildings. The application of this elongated hemispherical dome load-bearing roof technology in religious buildings has well inherited China's traditional brick arch technology, forming a gorgeous bracket arch decorated dome caisson, elevating bricklaying technology to an extreme state, and its preservation to this day is astonishing. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tips: The admission is free, compared to other popular temples, it is more quiet here, and the ancient relics are well preserved. It's worth spending half a day to a full day for a detailed visit. The cats kept by the monks in the temple are also very quiet and friendly, very cute. The opening hours in summer are 6:30 am to 7:00 pm, and in winter are 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.