[2025 Changzhi Attraction] Travel Guide for The Five-Phoenix Pavilions (Updated Mar)

Wufeng Tower Wufeng Tower in Changzhi, Shanxi, is a Taoist building with profound historical and cultural heritage and a unique architectural style. It was built in the Yuan Dynasty and has been repaired many times during the reigns of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty and Emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty. It is now a key cultural relic under state protection. Wufeng Tower is famous for its complex structure and solemn and tall shape. The eaves of the tower are deep, and the four corners are flying, symbolizing the five phoenixes spreading their wings. Four pillars reach the top of the building, with brackets and lotus flowers hanging down. The wooden components are very delicate. In particular, its mulberry wood ladder and vitex beam are wonders in the building. The mulberry wood ladder is made of a whole mulberry tree, which is 7 meters long and has been used for hundreds of years. The vitex beam is made of vitex, which grows very slowly and is extremely precious. The name of Wufeng Tower comes from an ancient legend. It is said that the five daughters of the Jade Emperor were tired of the life of abstinence in heaven and came down to earth. They lived a happy life of love, but violated the rules of heaven. The Jade Emperor was furious and finally killed the five sisters with thunder and lightning. The souls of the five phoenixes lived on the mountain, and later generations built this Wufeng Tower to commemorate the five phoenix sisters. In the early years, you could climb the ladder to visit Wufeng Tower, but now you can't go up. Unconsciously, it snowed, and the snowflakes added to the mystery of the ancient site.

The world's three Wufeng Towers are the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, Byodoin Temple in Kyoto, Japan, and Wufeng Tower in Changzhi, Shanxi. ㅤ Wufeng Tower in Changzhi, Shanxi is an ancient architectural treasure that combines history, culture, and art. ㅤ Construction date‌: There are several theories. One theory is that it was built in the Song dynasty and renovated during the reigns of Emperor Wanli of the Ming dynasty and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty. Another theory is that it was built during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty and rebuilt in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing dynasty (1726). ㅤ ⛺[Address]: Yuhuang Temple, Nansong Village, Nansong Township, Shangdang District, Changzhi, Shanxi   🕘[Opening hours]: 08:00–19:00   💴[Tickets]: CNY 15/person (on-site purchase) ㅤ 🚌[Transportation]: Taxi, self-driving, or public transportation (take bus 206 or 211 in Shangdang District) ㅤ 🕘[Visiting time]: 0.5–1 hour ㅤ ⛺[Architectural wonders]: ‌1. Jingmu beam‌: There is a 7.4-meter-long, 50–54 cm thick Jingmu beam in Wufeng Tower. The material is rare, and Wufeng Tower is the only place in the world that uses such a thick Jingmu beam. ㅤ ‌2. Mulberry wood ladder‌: Fifteen steps were carved into a thick mulberry wood, which was carved from a whole mulberry tree trunk. It is more than 7 meters long, and its age is estimated to be more than 500 years based on the tree rings, which is very rare. The ladder was used to climb the tower in the past, but now stairs have been built for visitors to climb the tower. ㅤ ‌3. Bagua caisson‌: The Xian Hall and the top of Wufeng Tower have pure wooden Bagua caissons, which are octagonal and very exquisite. ㅤ ‌4. Broken beam‌: A beam above the Xian Pavilion is made of two pieces of wood, which is a rare design in ancient architecture and remains a mystery. ㅤ ‌5. Seven brackets and thirteen steps‌: The eaves of Lingxiao Hall adopt a seven-bracket and thirteen-step dougong structure, which is the highest standard in ancient architecture and is said to exceed the nine steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

In Shanxi, there is a traditional Chinese pavilion for all girls. The mountain gate is designed in the shape of a phoenix flying in the sky, and the sky is pink, hoping to give you a unique sense of peace and gentleness in Shanxi during your trip. Wufeng Tower is the mountain gate of Yuhuang Temple, and it has three wonders. It is supported by four giant stone pillars, with five layers of flying eaves, a hip-and-gable glazed roof, three rooms wide, three rooms deep, and more than 20 meters high. The first wonder: Jing wood beams, which are hard to find in the world. Jing is a deciduous shrub in the mountains and fields, called Jingyang or Jingtiao by the locals. Its branches are messy and hard to grow into a trunk. However, the north-south beams on the second floor of Wufeng Tower are made of two 7.39-meter-long Jing wood, one with a diameter of 54 cm and the other with a diameter of 50 cm, both over 400 years old. The second wonder: Mulberry wood ladder, its origin and year of felling are unknown. Mulberry is a deciduous tree or shrub, short in height, with rough wood, many branches, and easy to crack, making it difficult to become timber. This mulberry wood ladder is carved from the trunk of a mulberry tree. It is 7.13 meters high, with a small end diameter of 42 cm and a large end diameter of 76 cm, with 15 steps. According to the annual rings, the tree is over 500 years old. Such a huge mulberry tree is rare. The third wonder: The broken beam of the Xian Hall, surrounded by a beautiful and rigorous caisson, but with a broken beam, the reason for which is still unknown. Yuhuang Temple was built in the Song Dynasty and repaired in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. It faces south and has three courtyards. On the central axis are the mountain gate (Wufeng Tower), Xian Pavilion (where the caisson is located in the picture), Lingxiao Hall, and the sleeping palace, with bell towers, drum towers, Wenchang Pavilion, halls, side halls, and corridor rooms on the left and right. Outside the east wall are Siyu Palace, Doumu Palace, etc. It is a grand and magnificent building, a great view in Changzhi. When you climb Wufeng Tower, the huge dougong mortise and tenon components, which are nearly a thousand years old, slide past your legs one by one. It is like a kind and knowledgeable teacher, letting you feel the shocking aesthetics of ancient pavilions. When you reach the top, you can enjoy the cool breeze and the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers. Above you is the gorgeous caisson for praying for fire safety and peace in ancient times, and behind you are the five daughters of the Jade Emperor, playing music, singing, and dancing around the corridor and inner columns. This is the origin of the name Wufeng Tower.

I finally made it to the other side of the Anywhere Door - Wufeng Tower! To see underground relics, go to Shaanxi; to see aboveground relics, go to Shanxi. It was only after a trip to Shanxi that I truly appreciated this saying. In southern Shanxi, there is a Yuhuang Temple located in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. The temple faces north and opens to the south, consisting of three courtyards in a row, with the main gate, offering pavilion, Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and the sleeping palace on the central axis, and the bell tower, drum tower, Wenchang Pavilion, side halls, turret halls, and corridors on the left and right. To the east of Wufeng Tower, there are newly completed buildings such as the Siyu Palace, Doumu Palace, and the sleeping palace. The most famous part of Yuhuang Temple is its main gate - Wufeng Tower. It is a large Taoist building, originally constructed during the Yuan Dynasty, and was renovated four times during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, and the Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Tongzhi periods of the Qing Dynasty. From the front, Wufeng Tower has five layers of flying eaves, symbolizing 'five phoenixes spreading their wings,' which is said to commemorate the five daughters of the Jade Emperor. However, when you look at the tower from the side walls after entering the main gate, you will find that there are only four layers of flying eaves, which is an example of the 'five in light, four in shadow' technique used in ancient Chinese architecture. Inside Yuhuang Temple, there are five wonders - the Jingmu beam, the Sangmu ladder, the Bagua caisson, the single broken beam, and the seven arches with thirteen steps. Most of these wonders are located within Wufeng Tower. Jingmu Beam: Inside Wufeng Tower, two painted beams with a diameter of about 50 centimeters run through the top from front to back, known as the 'Jingmu beams.' Jingmu is a type of shrub, quite slender, usually used for weaving baskets. A Jingmu with a diameter of about 50 centimeters would need to grow for more than 3,000 years, making it a rare sight in China to use Jingmu as a beam. Sangmu Ladder: Inside Wufeng Tower, there is also a winding single-log ladder, slantingly placed under the beam. Despite the wear and tear of time and the trampling of countless people, it remains as sturdy as ever. This is the 'Sangmu ladder.' The mulberry is a deciduous tree or shrub, relatively short, with coarse wood, many branches, and prone to splitting, making it difficult to grow. However, the mulberry ladder inside Wufeng Tower was carved from the main trunk of a mulberry tree, 7.13 meters high, with a small end diameter of 42 centimeters and a large end diameter of 76 centimeters, with 15 steps carved out. According to the tree rings, it is about 500 years old. Such a large mulberry tree, where it grew and where it was cut down, remains unknown, which is quite rare. The beam is even more unique. Bagua Caisson: Inside Wufeng Tower, there are four round columns that reach the roof, and the caisson at the top is intricately constructed with dougong brackets and hanging lotus decorations, with very delicate wooden components. The massive caisson, like a flower cover treasure frame placed at the heart of the beam frame, makes the building particularly magnificent. Single Broken Beam: Passing through Wufeng Tower, you come to the offering pavilion, and above the east side of the pavilion, there is a large wood with obvious signs of breakage. Why would such a massive project use a broken beam? It is said to be for earthquake resistance and pressure reduction, showing the ancient people's ingenuity. The reason remains an unsolved mystery to this day. Seven Arches Thirteen Steps: Located at the northern end of the Yuhuang Temple complex is the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, which is tall and imposing. With four beams and eight columns, a single-eave hanging mountain roof, green glazed tiles, and eleven groups of four jumps and seven spreads making up thirteen steps of dougong brackets under the eaves, it is densely packed and rarely seen in ancient architecture.