Pingyao strengthens protection of millennium-old temple

A decorated archway in front of the acclaimed temple in Pingyao county. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

Pingyao City God Temple, a well-preserved Taoist temple located in Pingyao county in North China's Shanxi Province, has benefitted from significant improvements to its conservation and protection recently implemented by the local government.

To protect the cultural heritage of the 1,100 year-old building, additional measures have been undertaken for its security and protection.

Shi Xiao, director of the management office of the temple, said 24-hour monitoring and regular inspections of the temple had been implemented. In addition, firefighting training and drills are now carried out monthly to improve emergency responses, while alarm facilities and smoke detectors have been installed.

An exterior view of the temple in Pingyao county [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

First built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), the acclaimed temple has an exquisite structure and is one of the best-preserved of its kind in China. It was listed as a cultural relics site under national protection in 2006.

According to Wang Cailing, a local folk cultural teacher, the highlight of the temple is the unique glazed tiles on the roof, made with a ceramics firing technique whose secrets were lost hundreds of years ago.