Dongyue Temple, Runcheng Village, Yangcheng, Shanxi Province

Dongyue Temple is located in Runcheng Town, Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province. The temple was originally built before the Jin Dynasty and was renovated in the 20th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1593). It covers an area of 3,600 square meters and is grand in scale, featuring three courtyards and three gates. The entire complex consists of the temple gate, bell tower, drum tower, passage hall, side halls, east and west auxiliary halls, dance tower, offering hall, main hall, and rear palace. The glazed roof ridges, beast heads, and tiles are comparable to those of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The existing offering hall, main hall, auxiliary halls, and rear palace are in the Ming Dynasty style. The coffered ceiling of the offering hall is uniquely crafted and built on a square platform base surrounded by stone-carved railings. The railing posts are carved with stone lions, monkeys, elephants, and other auspicious animals, vividly lifelike. The hall body is three bays wide and three bays deep, with a cross-gable hip roof. The Tianqi Hall has three bright and five dark bays, six purlins deep, with a suspended gable roof. The ridge decorations, two gable wind boards, hanging fish, and grass motifs on the roof are all made of glazed tiles with bright colors. The rear palace is five bays wide and six purlins deep, with a double-eaved cross-gable hip roof. The roof ridge is decorated with glazed tiles, complete with ridge beasts. It is a nationally protected key cultural relic.