City God Temple of Xi'an (Capital City God)西安都城隍庙

Type

Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)

Location

China · Shaanxi · Xi'an · 129 West Street, Lianhu District

Coordinates

34.26, 108.94 Map ↗

School

Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoism

First built

1387, the 20th year of the Hongwu era, Ming · Governed the city gods of several northwestern provinces; expanded in the Ming and Qing, rebuilt under the Yongzheng Emperor of Qing, and restored from the 1980s onward; it is the largest City God Temple in the northwest

Heritage status

Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (2001)

Overview

The City God Temple of Xi'an (Capital City God) was founded in the twentieth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming (1387). Since Xi'an prefecture was the fief of the Prince of Qin under the Ming, its Capital City God Temple governed the city gods of the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, and is counted as one of 'the three great Capital City God Temples under Heaven' (the other two being in Beijing and Nanjing). It was rebuilt after a fire in the first year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing (1723); the surviving structures include a memorial archway, mountain gate, opera stage, ceremonial gate, and main hall, the main hall spanning seven bays, its bracket sets and painted decoration following official Qing-dynasty style. A traditional market (the City God Temple Commodities Market) grew up in front of the temple, and the area was cleared and restored in the 2000s. The temple is presided over by priests of the Zhengyi tradition and is an important center of Daoist activity in urban Xi'an; it was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2001.

Highlights

• Main hall
• Opera stage
• Cult of the Capital City God
• Memorial archway