The Dongyue Temple, located on the top of Baishan Mountain, 2 kilometers east of Pu County, Shanxi Province, was founded in an unknown year. According to the "Puzhou County Chronicle", it was established in the fifth year of Jin Taihe (1205). This legendary and miraculous thousan

Located on the top of Baishan Mountain, 2 kilometers east of Pu County, Shanxi Province, the Dongyue Temple was founded in an unknown year. According to the "Puzhou County Chronicle", it was established in the fifth year of Jin Taihe (1205). This legendary and miraculous thousand-year-old temple embodies the architectural essence of the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is dedicated to Dongyue the Great, an important deity in Taoism. Emperor Dongyue is considered to be in charge of life and death in the world and is the king of the underworld.

Huang Feihu, the Emperor of Dongyue, is enshrined in the main hall. The statue wears a purple gold crown, a dragon robe and a yellow robe, and holds a life and death tablet. Because Huang Feihu made great achievements in helping King Wu of Zhou to defeat Zhou, he was later deified as the "Eastern Mount Taishan Tianqi Rensheng Emperor". He was the lord of the Five Mountains, in charge of good and bad luck in the world, and in charge of the eighteen hells of the underworld.

The shrine in the main hall leads directly to the top of the hall, and the beams are hung with pictures of gods and figures. Sitting on the crossbar facing south are two naughty little boy statues, both holding objects. The picture above shows one of the melon-eating people. From the sculptures, we learned that the watermelon hundreds of years ago had a thin skin and rich flesh, which was no different from the watermelon today.

Behind the main hall is Changyan Palace, also known as the "Shrine of Our Lady of Descendants" and also known as the Empress Temple. There are three clay statues enshrined in the wooden shrine in the temple, which are called the Three Heavenly Empresses. It is said that she is in charge of human fertility and is very efficacious. Visitors who plan to have a baby can come here to pray.

There are piles of small shoes of various colors in front of the temple window, some are single and some are pairs, some are left and some are right. Because pilgrims who come here to make wishes will only take one small shoe when they leave. Those who want a boy can take a left shoe, and those who want a girl can take a right shoe. Send a pair back, and over time, not only will there be more and more shoes, but also the left and right will be distinct.

Dongyue Temple brings together all people's wishes for blessing, wealth, longevity, yin power, and the next life. It is no wonder that it has been popular since the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The temple also preserves hundreds of hanging sculptures and clay statues of gods since the Jin Dynasty, all of which are excellent works. These statues are valuable materials for studying ancient Chinese sculpture art and have been praised by experts and tourists at home and abroad.

The hell located in the underground cave area in the northernmost part of the temple is the most spectacular place in Dongyue Temple. The entrance is gloomy and narrow, making it appear strange and unpredictable. It is worth mentioning that there is also a couplet in the temple. The first couplet is "I will not say a word if I attack my mountains and forests" and the second couplet is "If it hurts your life, you will not be able to escape." Because of this couplet, the green pines and cypresses of Baishan Mountain are beautiful, in sharp contrast to other bare mountains nearby.

Go down from the hell entrance of Dongyue Temple. The first level is the underworld. There is a Bodhisattva hall in the underworld. In the center, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is enshrined. "If I don't go to hell, who will go to hell? Souls that cannot save their grievances will not return to the earth." The Bodhisattva is left and right. On both sides are the Yama Lords of the Ten Palaces and the Six Cao Judges, who represent the incarnation of justice in the underworld.

After passing through the underworld, descending another 18 steps in the confusing darkness, the legendary "Eighteen Levels of Hell" will appear before your eyes. More than 140 life-size, lifelike clay sculptures of gods and ghosts perform all the "inhumane" tortures you can think of. Various legends such as Yin and Yang Realm, Naihe Bridge, Wangxiang Terrace, and Meng Po Tang are also cleverly embellished, which have precious historical and artistic value.