Fire God Temple, Shichahai火德真君庙（火神庙）

Type

Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)

Location

China · Beijing · Beijing · 77 Di'anmenwai Street, Xicheng District, on the east bank of Shichahai

Coordinates

39.938, 116.39 Map ↗

School

Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoism

First built

Tang, sixth year of Zhenguan (632, tradition) · Rebuilt in the sixth year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan (1346); expanded and granted its name in the 33rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming (1605); rebuilt under the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing; restored and reopened in 2008

Heritage status

Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (2006)

Overview

The Fire God Temple, popularly known as Huoshen Miao, is one of the oldest Daoist temples in Beijing, dedicated to the Perfected Sovereign of Mars, Star God of Fire Virtue of the South. Tradition holds that it was first built in the sixth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang (632); it was rebuilt in the sixth year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan (1346), and expanded into an imperial Daoist temple in the 33rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming (1605), when it was granted the name "Fire God Temple" by imperial decree — its roofs used green glazed tiles, with the main hall in yellow tiles, a rank of considerable prestige. The temple has a mountain gate, Long'en Hall (Huozu Hall), Doumu Pavilion, Yuhuang Pavilion, and side halls to the east and west. In the Qing, the Fire God Temple was a site where the imperial household sacrificed to the fire god; it declined after the Republican era, was vacated and restored beginning in 2002, and resumed Daoist activity in 2008, now directly administered by the Beijing Taoist Association.

Highlights

• Long'en Hall
• Doumu Pavilion
• Views of Shichahai
• Ming-Dynasty Imperially Bestowed Plaque