National Heritage Site - Wanrong Dongyue Temple

Located on West Street in Wanrong County, Wanrong Dongyue Temple is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
The most famous part of Dongyue Temple is the Feiyun Tower, which is as famous as the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County and is known as the "First Wooden Tower in China." The construction date of Feiyun Tower is unknown, but it already existed during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty. The existing tower was rebuilt in the 11th year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. There are no Buddha statues in Feiyun Tower, and it is made of pure wood with mortise and tenon joints. It has three visible floors and five hidden floors, with a height of 23.19 meters and a cross-shaped hip roof. Four pillars reach the top of the tower, surrounded by 32 protective pillars, forming a nine-square grid in the shape of a chessboard. The entire tower has 32 eaves, resembling blooming petals under the blue sky. Upon closer inspection, there is a square hole at the bottom of the pillars, which serves two purposes: ventilation to keep the wood dry and moving the pillars to the right position. Additionally, the bases of the four pillars are of different heights, mainly because the pillars are not of the same length.
Feiyun Tower is unique in terms of construction technology, structural mechanics, and artistic design, and holds a special place in ancient Chinese wooden architecture. For architecture students and enthusiasts of ancient architecture, this is a must-visit place for learning and exploration.
In addition to Feiyun Tower, Dongyue Temple also includes the Wumen Gate, Xiandian Hall, Xiangting Pavilion, Zhengdian Hall, and Yanwang Hall, with nine temple steles from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. All of them are unique in style.

Address: No. 8, West Street, Wanrong County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province
Opening hours: Summer 8:30-18:00, Winter 9:00-17:00
Tickets: CNY 10
Transportation: Take bus No. 107 in Yuncheng City to Dongyue Temple.

Post by drystan_3851 | Jan 17, 2025