City God TempleThere is naturally the City God God, and "City God God", as the name suggests, is a god who protects the people of a place and ensures good weather.
People in ancient times believed in gods and believed that there must be gods with advanced cultivation where they lived.
When you do good deeds, gods will know about it and give you blessings. If you do something evil, the gods will know it and will be punished. So he spontaneously offered incense to the City God.
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Speaking of worshiping the City God, it can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty or Zhou Dynasty period. The specific accounts are different.
Because the Northern Song Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty were two dynasties that alternated between the old and the new, no one could tell clearly.
But it was and that really became popular during the Han Dynasty.
Han Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang had a general named Ji Xin. This man was loyal and courageous. In a battle to protect Xingyang, Ji Xin was captured to cover Liu Bang's withdrawal and eventually died.
After Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, in order to express his gratitude to Ji Xin, he conferred the title of Marquis of Zhonglie on Ji Xin. Temples and statues were built for him in various places so that he could enjoy the incense of the people.
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So later generations also called the City God Temple Ji Xin Temple, and Ji Xin as the City God Lord.
Almost all cities across the country have Chenghuang temples, and Lanzhou is no exception. Today I will take you to learn about the Fuchenghuang Temple in Lanzhou.
The Fucheng God Temple in Lanzhou is located on Zhangye Road, Chengguan District. The original building was built in the Song Dynasty, with a construction area of 4,000 square meters.
There are three halls. The main building of the City God Temple was burned down in a fire during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It was later rebuilt on the original site. After many repairs in the past dynasties, it still exists today.
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Lanzhou City God's Temple faces south. The southernmost part is the "Zhongliehou" archway. On the east and west sides of the archway, there are octagonal pavilions for cooling off and cooling off, and courtyards for Taoist priests are built on both sides.
To the north of the archway is a two-story, seven-couplet theater with a circular corridor. The doors on both sides have plaques written during the Zhou Dynasty hanging on them. The banner reads "Are you here?" The vertical couplet says: "How bold! Dare to come to see me; turn back quickly! Don't harm others." The god teaches the believers a lesson in a condescending and reprimanding tone.
The second gate is the main hall for enshrining the spiritual throne, which is the Hall of Enjoyment. There are ancient locust trees standing tall in the courtyard, and gardens for cultivating flowers and plants have been built on both sides. On the east and west sides of the Xiangdian Hall are the Mountain Temple, the Earth Temple, the Bell and Drum Tower and the Watchtower.
The main hall is built to the north of the Xiangdian Hall, which is the central building of the Fucheng God Temple, and the statue of the City God is enshrined inside.
To the north of the main hall is the bedroom of the Cheng Huang couple. There are seated statues of Cheng Huang and his wife in the hall.
There are two pavilions on both sides of the main hall, also known as the Four Corners Pavilion. The pavilions are surrounded by open spaces and exquisite carvings. There are verandas and accompanying halls on both sides of the main hall. In the accompanying halls, the wooden masters of the City God from the six territories of Lanzhou during the Zhou Dynasty are enshrined (from the time of the Ming Dynasty, the City God was mainly made of wood, not clay figures). From this time onwards, Ji Xin Temple was renamed. It is the Fuchenghuang Temple.
There are also murals painted in the corridors of the City God's Temple. There are stories about Ji Xin taking his own life to save Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, and there are also tragic scenes of people going to Abi Hell after doing evil things. However, these murals no longer exist today.
During the Republic of China, the local government used some of the buildings of the Chenghuang Temple to establish the Domestic Products Memorial Hall, which displays a wide variety of items, including locally grown Chinese herbal medicines, as well as some agricultural products, textiles and handicrafts, all of which highlight Gansu characteristics.
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With the development of society, Lanzhou City God Temple is also changing its functions to meet the new tomorrow.
In 1956, according to the needs of the local people in Lanzhou, the Town God's Temple was changed into a workers' club.
Today's Lanzhou City God's Temple has a new name, Lanzhou Panjiayuan, which is a good place for Lanzhou people to reminisce after dinner.
