Si Temple

📍 Location: 300 meters northwest of the intersection of Dongmen Road and Runxiang Road
🕰️ Opening Hours: Daily 8:00–17:30 (admission stops at 16:30)
🎫 Ticket Information: Free admission (reservation required with real-name registration)

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🏛️ Historical Background

The Si Temple, originally known as the "Si Zhong Shrine," was constructed during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522 AD) to commemorate the famous Ming Dynasty counselor Yang Jisheng. Known for his integrity and courage in speaking out, Yang Jisheng was falsely accused and imprisoned for impeaching the powerful minister Yan Song, and was martyred at the Western Market. He is revered as a "brave and loyal man" by later generations. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was renovated and renamed the "Si Temple," symbolizing the "remembrance of loyalty and gratitude for virtuous deeds."

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🏘️ Architectural Layout and Cultural Relics

The Si Temple faces south and is arranged along the central axis, with three courtyards currently in existence, covering an area of approximately 4,500 square meters. The main buildings include:

• Gates: Built of bricks and stones with a suspended roof, the gates are flanked by two Qing Dynasty stone tablets that record Yang Jisheng's life and the history of the renovation.
• Main Hall: With a width of three bays and a hipped roof, the wooden structure features a raised beam system. The hall houses a statue of Yang Jisheng, with statues of loyal counselors from various dynasties on the sides.
• East and West Side Halls: The East Hall exhibits the hand-copied and printed copies of the "Collection of Yang Zhongmin Gong" and documents of the counselor's advice from the Ming and Qing dynasties; the West Hall features an "Exhibition of Loyal Deeds," reconstructing his life through images and multimedia.
• Stele Corridor: Engraved with five imperial steles from the Wanli and Guangxu periods of the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the "Sung of Loyalty" stele, which is a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

In front of the hall, ancient cypresses tower overhead, with a tree age of over four centuries, their gnarled branches known as the "Tree of Loyalty."

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🌿 Cultural Value

The Si Temple is one of the well-preserved Ming Dynasty memorials of loyal counselors in the North China region, reflecting the traditional Chinese scholar's pursuit of "dying for one's ideals." Its architectural style, stele content, and sacrificial rituals all hold significant historical research value and were listed as a "National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit" in 2013.

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📌 Travel Tips

• ✅ Recommended Visiting Duration: 60–90 minutes
• ✅ Suitable for: History and culture enthusiasts, study groups, photography enthusiasts
• ⚠️ Notes: Please maintain silence inside the hall, no touching of cultural relics is allowed; pets are strictly prohibited
• 📱 Reservation Method: Make a real-name reservation through the "Cultural Tourism Cloud" platform or the official park WeChat account

🕯️ Every year on the 27th day of the sixth lunar month (the birthday of Yang Jisheng), the "Si Zhong Sacrificial Ceremony" is held, with solemn and reverent rituals, which can be reserved to participate in.