On the Woyun Hillock in the southern suburb of Yuncheng city in Shanxi province, a grand and solemn ancient temple stands erect. It was built in the position of looking up mountain and drawing water. By just bending and looking down, visitors can appreciate the historic spectacle—"dead sea in China, Yuncheng Salt Lake". In the south of the temple, the rolling and lofty Zhongtiao Mountain stands in front of us. Standing on the Wanghu Pavilion in the south of the temple, the unique and beautiful scene of "a pool of snow of Zhongtiao Mountain" looms before your eyes. Blowing the gentle breeze of Zhongtiao Mountain, you seem to be able to hear Emperor Shundi's eternal song "Nanfeng Song", which he sung here loudly with Chinese zither playing. "Nanfeng Song" goes like this: "The gentle south wind can dispel worries of my people. The south wind blows slowly in due course, which can enrich the wealth of all people. Here is the Chi’shen Temple—a wonderful work of Chinese temples.
Chi’shen Temple was built in the 12th year of Daliof the Tang Dynasty (777 A.D.). According to history record, due to specific natural reasons, there was an unprecedented spectacle of "red salt growing by itself" in the salt lake. Salt officials reported the matter to the court, saying it was a sign of great good luck. After verification, Li Yu of Emperor Tang Daizong was greatly delighted. He issued a royal edict to designate Yuncheng Salt Lake as the "Baoying Lingqing"(precious and magic lake). He ordered to set up a temple in the Salt Lake, and designated the god of the lake as "Lingqing Gong".
Monarchs of all dynasties since the Tang Dynasty all hoped that salt profits would add taxes to the country, so Chi’shen Temple were expanded and repaired through generations. Therefore, the historical culture and architectural style of the six times including Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and modern times are all expressed here. Among them, the three main halls in Tang Dynasty, the site of Bao Zheng managing salt affairs in Song Dynasty, the stele gallery and opera tower in Yuan Dynasty, the forbidden wall in Ming Dynasty, the imperial decree in Qing Dynasty and scenery of allusions in modern times are of primitive simplicity and remoteness, transcendent and refined, solemn and majestic.
The four major landscapes of Chi’shen Temple can be called the "one and only" of Chinese temple architectural art. Firstly, the three main halls of Lake God, Sun God and Wind God in Tang Dynasty coexist and accompany each other. Its architectural style is unique in the world. Secondly, in the temple the location of the steles and stone carvings of the past dynasties is very strange—on the central axis of the entire temple. Thirdly, these inscriptions of steles were given by emperors of all ages. Fourthly, Chi’shen Temple is the only temple in the country built by the government (court) for enterprises (salt production). It highlights the position of salt industry in the development of feudal society. As a result, Nanfeng Group has become the only enterprise with "ancestral temple" in the country. Over the past 1200 years since Chi’shen Temple was built, it has experienced ups and downs through times. After being repaired, they have regained their spirits. Chi’shen temple has been listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi province and a patriotism education base by Shanxi province and the former Ministry of chemical industry. Guo Moruo, a famous calligrapher and historian, was very excited after visiting here. He composed a poem on the spur of the moment and gave high praise to Chi’shen Temple and Salt Lake.
The poem goes like this: Decreeing as “Lingqing Gong” in Tang Dynasty, the ancient salt lake is very useful. Sunlight burns it into a silver island, sodium sulfide is purified as nylon. There is no deity to dominate here, but human beings are paying efforts. The forbidden wall of saltfield is still here, the wall can help us recall the bitter history and resist the north wind.
The cultural and natural landscape of Chi’shen Temple and Salt Lake has attracted tourists from all over the country. Deng Xiaoping, Hu Yaobang, Peng Zhen, Li Tieying, Ren Jianxin, Zhang Siqing and other leaders of the central government and various circles of the society have visited here successively. In order to reproduce the glorious history of Chi’shen Temple, Nanfeng Group will continue to restore many sites such as "Haiguang Tower", "Sacred Terrace of 64 levels", "The Place of Emperor Shun Playing Chinese zither", "Gexun Tower" and "Main Mountain". At that time, a more complete and spectacular Chi’shen Temple will be displayed in front of the world, and its salt culture will be long and profound.
