Beiyue Temple, a treasure trove of cultural and artistic relics

The Beiyue Temple in Quyang County was first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). It was once a place where ancient Chinese emperors held ceremonies to offer sacrifices to the god of Hengshan Mountain. Covering an area of over 170,000 square meters, the temple now houses a treasure trove of ancient Chinese cultural and artistic relics.

After more than 1,500 years, the temple's symmetrical layout preserves an array of ancient architectural relics, including palaces, pavilions and memorial gates. The Dening Palace, for example, is the largest and best-preserved example of Yuan Dynasty wooden architecture and the temple's main building.

In addition to its ancient architecture, the temple also preserves hundreds of stone steles and stone sculptures. The inscriptions on them not only record the visits by the emperors, officials and famous people as well as the temple's renovations, but also serve as valuable evidence of the evolution of Chinese calligraphy.