[2025 Datong Attraction] Travel Guide for Emperor Guan Temple (Updated May)

Datong has been popular for a year because of Black Wukong, but it is also because of its profound historical heritage that it can catch this wave of traffic~ This city is very suitable for calming down and strolling slowly. I have compiled a 2-day and 1-night urban tourist route. Just follow this~- ♾️「Route Suggestions」 DAY1️⃣: Yungang Grottoes➠Datong City Museum➠Datong Ancient City Wall DAY2️⃣ (Ancient City Citywalk): Huayan Temple➠Bell Tower➠Sipailou➠Drum Tower➠Shanhua Temple➠Fuwen Temple➠Dijun Temple➠Guandi Temple➠Taiping Tower➠Fahua Temple - 🔆「Route Highlights and Features」 1️⃣ Yungang Grottoes 💰120 A world cultural heritage and one of the four major grottoes in China, there are many tourists, so go early. If you are interested in statue culture, it is strongly recommended to ask a tour guide for explanation, or make a plan in advance! Otherwise it's just a cursory look. 2️⃣Datong City Museum Free, reservation required The collections in Datong City Museum display many ethnic items, especially items from the Northern Wei, Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties, which are worth seeing! The original Huayan Temple Chiwen is on display in the museum 3️⃣ Ancient City Wall Entrance from the West Gate and North Gate is free, and the East Gate and South Gate charge 💰10/person to climb the city wall Datong Ancient City Wall is well preserved, and it looks very beautiful when lit up in the evening, and you can see the beautiful scenery of the ancient city~ 4️⃣Huayan Temple 💰50 Huayan Temple is a relatively well-preserved Liao and Jin temple complex. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, but the murals, architectural structures, and Buddha statues are of great research value. The more famous ones are the Chiwen in the Main Hall, the double pavilion-style wall collection, the "Oriental Venus" Bodhisattva statue, the murals... 5️⃣ Shanhua Temple It is also a temple building from the Liao and Jin Dynasties, with the four heavenly kings becoming popular among the black monkeys. 6️⃣ Four Archways The landmark in the center of the ancient city, facing the four directions of east, west, south and north, very distinctive 7️⃣ Nine Dragon Wall One of the largest existing Nine Dragon Walls in China, built in the Ming Dynasty, ordinary mobile phones cannot take a full picture at 1x 8️⃣ Fahua Temple Close to the east gate of the city wall, built in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, there is a glazed Lama Tower inside, the red wall and white tower are very beautiful! - 🍜「Food and Beverage」 Datong also has a lot of carbohydrates, and must-eats include knife-cut noodles, mutton offal noodles, Shunyi jelly, fried pancakes, etc. - 🚌「Transportation」 You can take bus No. 3 to Yungang Grottoes. Most of the places can be reached by bus. It is recommended to walk in the ancient city. It is also convenient to take a taxi when you are tired.

The main hall of Datong Guandi Temple is located on Gulou East Street in Datong City, Shanxi Province. It has a construction area of ​​more than 400 square meters and is an ancient architectural site from the Yuan Dynasty. The Guandi Temple in Datong was first built in the Yuan Dynasty. According to the Records of Datong Prefecture, it was rebuilt many times in the Ming Dynasty and expanded during the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. The main hall of Datong Guandi Temple is the only Yuan Dynasty building in Datong city. It is square in plan, three bays wide and three bays deep, with a single-eaved hip roof and a glazed tile roof. The column heads under the eaves have five-layer brackets with a single top and a single bottom, and the double brackets are built in the center. The column heads are slightly rolled, and the side feet of the eaves columns are obvious. There is a flat caisson on the top of the hall, the inner columns are painted with coiled dragons, and each room is equipped with a wooden double-eaved shrine, with brackets densely covered under the eaves. In the Qing Dynasty, a porch was added in front of the main hall. It is three bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eaved hip roof and seven-step three-angle brackets under the eaves. There are four brackets in the main room and two in the secondary room. The structure and decorative techniques of the main hall of Datong Guandi Temple have distinct local characteristics, providing physical examples for the study of Yuan Dynasty architecture and Guandi culture. On March 5, 2013, the Main Hall of Datong Guandi Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

|A unique cultural charm. Datong Guandi Temple is located on Dong Street, Drum Tower, Datong City, covering an area of 12,000 square meters. This Yuan Dynasty building, named after Guan Yu, closely combines Guan Yu culture with Taoist culture, border culture, military culture, Jin merchant culture, and folk culture, and has become a unique existence. It is a representative work of Datong Yuan Dynasty ancient architecture. A large number of story plots of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms are applied to this Guandi Temple, especially the ubiquitous murals. The Qing Dynasty murals in the main hall "Single Knife Meeting", "Huarong Road", "Taoyuan Alliance", etc. The murals of the hall "Water Floods Seven Armies" and "Captured Pang De", etc. There are also "Three British Wars Lv Bu", etc. There is a feeling of watching the Romance of the Three Kingdoms comic strip here, and it is highly recommended to visit. Ticket: Free Opening hours: 8:00-17:30 Play time: 45 minutes

| A Journey Through Time at the Confucian Temple and Guan Di Temple. 🏰 Exploring Datong Ancient City | A Journey Through Time at the Confucian Temple and Guan Di Temple 🏰 🌟 Reservation Tips: At the threshold of the Confucian Temple, take out your phone and scan the QR code to easily make a reservation and start your cultural journey! ⏰ Opening Hours Revealed: - Peak Season (May 1 to October 15): 8 AM to 6 PM, reservations stop at 5:30 PM, don't miss the last moment! - Off Season (October 16 to April 30): 8:30 AM to 5 PM, reservations stop at 5 PM, remember to come early! 📜 In-depth Tour of the Confucian Temple: The Confucian Temple, a hall that has witnessed history, was built in 1396 and has withstood countless storms, still standing strong. From the Xuande to the Tianqi periods, there are traces of repairs and additions from various dynasties. Although time is ruthless, the restoration in 2008 brought it back to life. Here, you can not only see the solemn Dacheng Hall but also the stunning Five Dragon Wall, waiting for you to explore. 🏰 The Call of Guan Di Temple: 🎫 Reservation Method: In front of the Guan Di Temple, scan the QR code to make a reservation, simple and fast! 🕰 Opening Hours: - April 1 to October 31: 8:30 AM to 6 PM, ticket sales stop at 5:30 PM, don't miss an exciting day! - November 1 to March 31: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, ticket sales stop at 5 PM, the winter sun awaits you! 🌿 The Charm of Guan Di Temple: Entering Guan Di Temple feels like traveling back to the Yuan Dynasty. The main hall is the only surviving Yuan Dynasty building in the ancient city, and although the other buildings were rebuilt in 2008, they still retain their ancient simplicity and solemnity. Don't forget, the stage in front of Guan Di Temple is also a rare historical relic, witnessing countless stories since the Qing Shunzhi period. 🌈 Come to Datong Ancient City, and travel through time with me to feel the beauty of these ancient buildings carved by time! 🏮🌟

| The only Yuan Dynasty building in the city. Datong Tiandi Temple | The only Yuan Dynasty building in the city Compared to several Liao and Jin Dynasty buildings in Datong City, this place is more easily overlooked or missed. However, its main hall is the only Yuan Dynasty building in the city. This is the Datong Guan Di Temple, and it is the fifteenth stop of this trip. 8:30~17:00: Free Blood: Datong Pingcheng District Drum Tower East Street: Seventh Batch of National Protection Units : Yuan Dynasty main hall, wooden shrine Guan Di Temple, commonly known as the Great Temple, its founding date is unknown. The main existing buildings include the mountain gate, the passage hall, the offering hall, the main hall, the Spring and Autumn Tower, and the east and west side halls, most of which were rebuilt in 2008. The main hall, based on records and form, is inferred to be a Yuan Dynasty building. It has three bays in width and depth, with a single-eave nine-ridge hip roof covered with glazed tiles. In front of the hall is a porch, added during the Qing Dynasty. Inside the main hall, there is a Sumeru pedestal, with ground pillars and walls forming three exquisitely carved shrines. The east and west walls inside the hall are painted with murals, one side from the Qing Dynasty, mainly depicting the story of Guan Yu; the other side from the Ming Dynasty, mainly depicting flying dragons. The top of the main hall has a flat chess caisson added during the Qing Dynasty, painted with dragon patterns, which is unique. The shrine in the main hall is exquisitely styled, belonging to the superior works of small wooden structures in Qing Dynasty architecture. In the central shrine, Guan Sheng Dijun is enshrined, the east shrine houses the statue of Zhou Cang, and the west shrine houses the statue of Guan Ping. Each shrine has a horizontal plaque with Guan Sheng's titles. The plaque on the east shrine reads 'Conferred the title of Righteous and Brave Martial Peace King Chongning Guangfu Zhenjun', a title given to Guan Yu by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, who was a devout Taoist. The plaque on the west shrine reads 'Conferred the title of Golden Palace Protector of the Nation Manifest Saint Chongning Zhide Xietian Emperor', Guan Yu was conferred as an emperor starting from the Ming Dynasty.

🏡Xiwengxing Village, a perfect place for seeking ancient mysteries🎋 🌟Hidden deep in the passage of time, Xiwengxing Village, a tranquil place with just over 200 villagers, is the gathering place for the descendants of the great literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Zongyuan. The residents with the surname Liu have inherited a millennium of literary tradition, exuding a unique cultural charm. 🏯Stepping into the village is like traveling through time. The ancient Ming and Qing architectural complex faces north to south, leans on the Xiwengxing River to the east, and is adjacent to a valley to the south. From a distance, it resembles a phoenix spreading its wings. The entire complex is divided into the outer mansion area, the central area, and the inner mansion area, each revealing the wisdom and craftsmanship of the ancients. 📍The outer mansion area features the Liu family ancestral hall, Guandi Temple, and Confucian temple, which are simple and elegant. Inside the Confucian temple, there are treasures like the sacred hall, the elementary school, and the paper and silk tower. The central area consists of the village streets, Wenchang Pavilion, and the drill ground, with tall and magnificent stone archways on both sides of the streets, leaving visitors in awe. 🚪The inner mansion area is completely enclosed, with small stages, river-viewing pavilions, scenic towers, and mansion gate towers at the four corners. To enter the inner mansion area, one can only go through the mansion gate tower at the southwest corner or the brick archway under the river-viewing pavilion at the northeast corner. The ancient streets here crisscross, with a total length of about 1.5 kilometers, resembling a time tunnel that immerses one in the long river of history. 🎨The Liu family is known for its scholarly heritage, and the village preserves a large number of famous paintings, calligraphy, family instructions on stone tablets, and exquisite murals. Among them, the calligraphy steles of Zhu Xi, a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, Wen Zhengming, a painter and calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, and Wang Yangming, a philosopher of the Ming Dynasty, are incredibly precious. The eight mansion plaques in the inner mansion, with their ancient marks, bear witness to the vicissitudes of history.