Xuanyuan Temple

Xuanyuan Temple in Xi'an  (Chinese: ????????)

Brief Introduction
Xuanyuan Temple is located on Huangling County, Yan' an City and it on the ground of the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor. It was named after the Yellow Emperor's personal name "Xuanyuan", which recorded in the Shiji. The temple is dedicated to the worship of Huangdi. The temple was constructed in 1990s when Huangling was restored. It's the largest of such temples in China. It all made in granite with an size in 8,000 square meters.  And also is one part of the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum Scenic Area.The building named Xuanyuan Hall is standing in the center of this temple. If you pay a visit here,you can experience and learn the ancient civilization in Xuanyuan Temple.

The History of  Xuanyuan Temple
The Emperor Xuanyuan, he lived in 5,000 years ago and was a legendary tribal leader in North China. He is said to be the ancestor of all Chinese people, along with the Yan Emperor and Chi You. He was given the name Yellow Emperor as it represents the color of the vast Loess Plateau, where he was born. In the history books, he is credited with conquering all other tribes to unify China and is remembered as a capable, smart and moral ruler. He is referred to as one of the forefathers of Chinese civilization and was the first to standardize agricultural methods, music, mathematics, Chinese characters, clothing, water conservancy, construction, transportation, tool-making, house-building and military institutions.

According to records, this temple was first built in Han Dynasty, the original site was damaged during the Cultural Revolution. It is a very big structure that is said to be made completely of granite and that measures about 8,000 square meters. In the structure is a sculpture of the Yellow Emperor and a piece of wood called the Spirit Tablet that people can worship. There are also inscriptions that were written by China's modern rulers including Sun Yatsen. 

What to see in Xuanyuan Temple

1.Huangdiling
Xuanyuan temple is one part of Huangdiling,and it covers an area of 333 hectares. The location of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor-on the eastern slope of Qiao Mountain in Huangling county, Shaanxi province, and facing the Jyu River-is thought to be auspicious in terms of feng shui.On the right side of the tomb it's stone path, which is a approch to the tomb area. A stone with Chinese calligraphy sits on the path, the words means"Wen and Wu and their officials arrived at this point and dismounted their horses", a reference to Kings Wen and Wu of the Zhou dynasty. Nearer to the Tomb lies the "Immortal Han Wu Altar".Moreover,it was regarded as "the First Tomb under Heaven", The mausoleum is listed as a top-level tourist attraction and a State-protected historical site.

2. Ancient cypress trees
The mausoleum boats ancient cypress groves, with over 30,000 trees and more 1,000 years old, which regarded as cypress forest. Among the 30,000 cypress trees, the one at Xuanyuan Temple is the most famous. It was planted by the legendary ancestor, the Yellow Emperor with a long history about 5,000 years. It still has luxuriant foliage, and it takes eight adults to encircle the trunk holding hands.It's an old and treasure tree you must have a look in this area.

3.Great Hall of Man and Civiliazation's First ancestor
In the main hall, stands a relief sculpture of the Yellow Emperor, as well as a nice shrine decorated with the four great spirit animals of Chinese astrology: the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise. In the memorial pavilion are arranged several dedicatory inscriptions from modern Chinese leaders Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, and Deng Xiaoping. In front of the tomb is a pavilion for offerings, in the middle of which stands a stone stele with the three characters "Yellow Emperor Mausoleum". The stele was erected by Chiang Kai-shek during the Second Sino-Japanese War but was chiseled blank in 1956 before being restored in 1963 by Guo Moruo.

Transportation

Bus Route
1. Take the direct bus from the bus station on south square of Xian Train Station to Huangdiling.
2. Take bus from Xian North Bus Station to Huangling County,and then go to Huangdiling.
3. There are lots of bus from Yan'an to Huangdiling, or maybe you take bus from Yan'an to Xian and get off at Huangling County.

Travel Guide
Address: Qiaoshan Mountain, North of Baota, Baota District, Yan'an 716000, China
Admission: Including the ticket of the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor  
                The Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor: 91 RMB on peak season
                                                             51 RMB on low season.
Opening Time: 7:30-18:30( peak season, from Mar.1-Nov.30);
                      8:00-17:00( off season, from Dec.1- Feb.28 next year).
Time for Visit: 1 hour
( Tomb Sweeping Day and Double Ninth Festival are the best tourism time because there are some activities of memorizing the ancestors)