[2025 Hejin Attraction] Travel Guide for Taitou Temple (Updated Jul)

Hejin Taitou Temple is a grand folk Taoist temple primarily dedicated to the Great Emperor of Mount Tai (Dongyue) and other deities, which held significant influence from the Yuan Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. With its vast scale, majestic architecture, rigorous layout, exquisite craftsmanship, and simple style, it was designated as a "National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit" (7th batch) in 2013 due to its Yuan Dynasty structural components. The temple's elevated platform stands about 3 meters higher than the surrounding flatland, requiring visitors to look up when entering—hence its alternative names "Taitou Temple" (Raise-Head Temple) or "Xiyue Temple." Its founding date is unclear, though it traces back to the Han Dynasty and flourished during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Originally the site of Hejin's grain depot, it has been well-preserved. 🌈 Highlights: ✅ Taitou Temple has no walls or gates, making it a fully open-air temple and a cultural leisure square for locals, brimming with vibrant daily life. Its glazed ceramic sculptures differ from typical temples, featuring cartoonish designs that are remarkably lifelike. ✅ The existing structures unfold along a central axis, from south to north: Main Gate, Middle Gate, Offering Hall, and the principal hall—Dongyue Temple (Deyun Hall)—dedicated to the Great Emperor of Mount Tai. The east side hall is Houtu Shrine (Holy Mother Hall) for the Earth Goddess, while the west side hall is Xiyue Temple (Haoling Hall) for the Great Emperor of Mount Hua. ✅ The temple complex includes 10 ancient buildings, five of which date back to the Yuan Dynasty, showcasing the era's architectural techniques, features, and craftsmanship. ✅ Astonishingly, the entire temple was built without a single nail, relying solely on sophisticated mortise-and-tenon joints, reflecting the ingenuity and skill of ancient artisans. 🎫 Admission: Free 🚗 Transportation: Accessible via Hejin Bus Routes 5, 8, 21, or 2. For faster and more convenient travel, navigate 🧭 by car.

|The beauty of harmony. Taitou Temple, also known as Zhaotou Temple, is located about one mile east of the old city of Hejin. It got its name because the base of the temple is much higher than the surrounding flat land. 《When entering the temple, people look up to see it, so it is also called Zhaotou Temple. The initial construction date is unknown. The existing buildings are gradually spread out along the central axis, with the main gate, the middle gate, the offering hall, and the Dongyue Temple (Deyun Hall) in the middle of the north, where Yue the Great God of Mount Tai is worshipped; parallel to the Deao Hall are the east and west side halls with three rooms each. The east side hall is Hou Tu Temple (Holy Mother Hall) where Hou Tu Niangniang is worshipped, and the west side hall is Xiyue Temple (Shuang Hall) where Xiyue the Great God of Mount Hua is worshipped; the main hall and the two side halls each have east and west ear halls and Shaxiguopai for the purpose of management and protection. In the morning, this is a place for citizens to do morning exercises. Dynamics and tranquility are intertwined, and ancient buildings and modern life coexist harmoniously. The wooden texture of Taitou Temple exudes an ancient atmosphere, while the vitality of the citizens adds a touch of vitality to it. The glazed qilins, flowers and dragon gargoyles on the roof all demonstrate the ingenuity and sophistication of the craftsmen. The Great Emperor Dongyue in Deyun Hall bestows blessings, peace, health and happiness to every citizen. Address: Address: Taitou Temple Square, Xingeng Street, Hejin City, Yuncheng City Tickets: Free Transportation: Self-driving

It currently covers an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters, of which the ancient building area is more than 1,300 square meters. There are 10 existing ancient buildings in Taitou Temple, including as many as 5 buildings from the Yuan Dynasty. The overall scale is grand and the shape is simple. From south to north, they are the main gate, middle gate, offering hall, main hall, east and west side halls, east and west passing halls, and east and west ear halls. On May 3, 2013, Hejin Taitou Temple was announced as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. Before liberation, Taitoumiao was used for garrison and schooling. From 1947 to 1949, General Wang Zhen founded the Second Column Primary School (the predecessor of the current Xinjiang Bayi Primary School) in Taitoumiao. After the founding of New China, Taitoumiao was transferred to the grain department for use as grain storage and office. In 2009, the Cultural Relics Bureau secured more than 4 million yuan in funds to carry out comprehensive protection and repair of the Taitou Temple ancient buildings. In 2013, the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government invested more than 20 million yuan to build the Taitou Temple Cultural Square, based on the cultural relics and historical sites of Taitou Temple and with Longmen culture as the theme, in accordance with the overall planning of "three streets, two axes and one center". The project was completed at the end of that year and opened to the public.