[2025 Yuncheng Attraction] Travel Guide for Emperor Guan Temple, Changping (Updated Jul)

| Guandi Family Temple. The Guandi Family Temple covers an area of nearly 13,400 square meters. All the buildings face south and are arranged along the north-south central axis. From south to north, the central axis is lined with the Mountain Gate, the Rites Gate, the Offering Hall, the Main Hall, the Niangniang Hall, and the Shengzu Hall. On the east and west sides of the central axis, there are the East and West Wooden Archways, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Ancestral House Tower, the Official Hall, the Corridor House, the Left Stele Pavilion, the Right Stele Pavilion, the Hall of Guan Ping and Guan Xing and their wives, and the Taoist Courtyard. In front of the temple are two wooden archways, "Lingzhong Salt Sea" and "Xiuyu Tiaoshan." The Bell Tower and Drum Tower stand opposite each other on both sides. The stone archway is located in the center of the Bell and Drum Towers. The front of the archway is inscribed with "Hometown of Guan Wang," which was erected in the third year of the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1524). There are also two pine trees in the temple, which are said to have been planted by Guandi when he was 15 years old. The Qinglong Tree on the left and the White Tiger Tree on the right. The White Tiger Tree grew so lush that it damaged the house. After pruning and cutting, red bloodstains were left behind. Therefore, the locals believe that this tree is very spiritual and is a real white tiger. The overall layout of the family temple is in the form of a front court and a back palace. The various buildings are simple and elegant, with a dignified and ancient charm. Transportation: It is recommended to drive or take a taxi (there is a free parking lot on the square in front of the temple); you can take bus No. 21 from Yuncheng City to get there. Admission: 30 Opening hours: 08:00–18:00

Pingguan Emperor Ancestral Hall, commonly known as Guan Yu's Family Temple, is located in Changping Village, Jiezhou Town, Yuncheng City, south of Tiaoshan Mountain and north of the Salt Lake. Changping Guan Di Temple was founded in the early Sui Dynasty and is also the original source of Guan Di Temple. It became a temple in the Jin Dynasty and has been continuously renovated and expanded. The remaining structures date back to the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, including the main gate, ceremonial gate, offering hall, Chongning Hall, Empress Hall, Holy Ancestor Hall, bell tower, and drum tower, covering a total area of over 15,000 square meters. Stone tablets There are 22 stone tablets in the Ancestral Hall, recording Guan Yu's titles, hereditary titles, and temples. Chongning Hall The main hall of Changping Guan Di Temple, built in the 17th year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty and renovated in the 34th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, with a double-eaved, nine-ridge, hip-and-gable roof. Inside the hall is a colorful statue of Guan Gong. Empress Hall Rebuilt in the ninth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, the hall houses a statue of Guan Yu's wife. Ticket: 30 yuan Transportation: Yuncheng Bus No. 21, get off at Zhongyi Street, 2 yuan

📍Detailed address: Guandi Family Temple in Changping Village is located 11 kilometers southwest of Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. This is the ancestral home of Lord Guan, with the majestic Zhongtiao Mountain to the south and the vast and misty ancient Salt Lake to the north. The scenery here is beautiful, with outstanding people born from this spiritually endowed land. In 1986, the ancestral temple was designated as a provincial key cultural relics protection unit by the Shanxi Provincial Government. 🚉Travel tips: Lord Guan's hometown is in Yuncheng, Shanxi. Today, starting from the Salt Lake District to go to the Guandi Temple in Jiezhou, it takes over 30 minutes by car to reach, and you can also take the No. 11 bus directly to the scenic area. 💰Ticket price: The ticket price is 60 yuan during peak season, and it's free with the Yuncheng Tourism Annual Pass. Parking: Follow the navigation to the parking lot for a fee of 10 yuan. I parked on a street in front of many shops in the scenic area, where there are many free parking spaces along the street. Suggested visiting time: 1~1.5 hours 🗓Itinerary: Enter the ancestral temple of Guandi, and in the middle, you will pass through the Oath Pavilion - Gentleman Pavilion - Oath Garden - Four Dragons Screen - End Gate - Noon Gate - Imperial Book Tower - Chongning Hall - Imperial Garden. 🌟Highlights: Four Dragons Screen: During the Ming Jiajing period, the glazed screen wall features four differently shaped flying dragons. Although it now bears the heavy marks of wind, sun, and the passage of time, one can imagine its former exquisiteness. The cross iron pillars in front of the screen wall, which have a sense of age, were cast during the Qing Yongzheng period and served as a sign for civil and military officials to dismount from their sedans when they arrived here. Chongning Hall: Personally, I think this is the biggest highlight of the scenic area. First of all, the famous words 'Divine Courage' are located here. Secondly, there are 26 stone-carved dragon pillars around the hall!!! All are well preserved, and the carvings are rugged and powerful. Some dragons hold auspicious clouds in their claws, symbolizing 'rising to great heights'; some hold turtles, symbolizing 'health and longevity'. People passing by all touch the turtle for good luck. On both sides of Chongning Hall: One side is the Knife Tower, and the other is the Seal Tower. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the Seal of Marquis of Hanshou were carved from the same ancient sunken wood (ebony) weighing more than 20 tons by three master carvers over three years. Legend has it that Lord Guan was 'reborn from a giant dragon', and the two giant dragons on the knife rack spiral out from the auspicious clouds, jointly supporting Lord Guan's Green Dragon Crescent Blade, which is exquisitely beautiful and magnificent! Imperial Garden: The backyard is very large. When I visited, it was the season when the peonies were in full bloom. There was a large area of peonies, very beautiful, with many bees, so be careful when taking photos. You can also rent a bicycle to ride around the backyard, but most tourists return from here, taking a shuttle bus directly to the parking lot for 2 yuan per person, or you can walk out of the scenic area and return the same way. Now the entire scenic area has been developed extensively. In addition to the Guandi Temple requiring a ticket, there are also free attractions such as the city wall ruins nearby, which you can take a look at if interested. Say something

Changping Guandi Temple was first built during the Sui Dynasty, covering an area of 13,937 square meters. The Changping Guandi Temple faces south from the north and follows the "front court and back sleeping" system in its architectural layout. The main buildings are arranged in sequence along the axis, with the mountain gate, ceremonial gate, offering hall, Chongning Hall, Niangniang Hall, and Shengzu Hall arranged in sequence along the central axis. On the east and west sides are the bell tower, drum tower, wooden archway, corridor, official hall, official warehouse, and prince's hall. Guan Yu's birthplace, Changping Guandi Temple, is located in Changping Village, nine kilometers southeast of Jiezhou Town, also known as Guandi's family temple. Here is surrounded by mountains and water, the environment is elegant. The temple was built at the same time as the Guandi Temple in Jiezhou, with a building area of over 15,000 square meters. The halls are majestic, the structure is exquisite, and the layout is rigorous, which is different from the Guandi Temple in Jiezhou. What's special is that it preserves the "well tower" commemorating the martyrdom of Guan Yu's parents, which is not found in other martial temples in the country; the ancient clay sculpture art "extreme product" Guan Yu's ancestors three generations, Guan's wife and other colored sculptures. In the southeast corner of the courtyard of Changping Guandi Temple, there is an octagonal seven-story brick tower, which was built specifically for the commemoration of Guan Yu's parents. It was built in the 17th year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty (1177), and it provides precious physical materials for the study of ancient towers in the Jin Dynasty. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit.