Gaomei Temple is located in Lianbo Village, Yangcun Town, Hejin City. Having a history of more than 4,000 years, it was founded in Xia Dynasty. It is one of the few ancient buildings in Shanxi Province with the name of "Gaomei" and the connotation of root and ancestor culture. Gaomei is not a person's name. It is the highest form of sacrificial activity in ancient times to pray for the prosperity of future generations. It is also a gathering place for young men and women of ancient tribal groups. With its long history, exquisite architecture, beautiful murals and legendary history, it is being known and loved by more and more people.

Sitting north and facing south, Gaomei Temple covers an area of more than 10,000 square meters. Its architecture is well balanced. There are many buildings in the temple, such as the main gate, the stage, the sacrificial hall, the main hall, and the east and west side halls. These buildings have seen long history and tell people touching and magical story one after another.

[Murals]

Ancient murals are an important part of temple culture, and murals in Shanxi Province are second to none in China. The mural remains in Hejin are few because most temples are destroyed. Among the known mural remains, murals in Gaomei temple are relatively concentrated and well preserved. There are 57 murals and 158 characters in them, most of which were painted by folk artists in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The grand occasion of Empress Jiang Yuan's sacrifice to Gaomei, the legend of the birth of Hou Ji(agricultural ancestor) and the legend of Hou Ji’s agricultural teaching to his followers are painted on the western wall. On the east wall, legends of Dayu (a Chinese ancestor who made great contributions in flood control) are painted; the stories include his chiseling in Longmen, meeting governors in Tushan Mountain, burning trees and digging rivers , passing home for three times without entering it.

[Sand Cannot Enter the Temple]

Gaomei Temple has been a wonder because sand cannot enter the temple since ancient times. In the late 1980s, when people were repairing the main hall, they saw mountains of sand dunes outside the temple, but inside the temple it was very clean. It was said that there are magic sand-preventing peals. Of course, it was only a legend. According to research, this phenomenon is actually related to the architectural features and layout of the temple. Gaomei temple has the characteristics of symmetrical central axis and balanced wings. In addition to the wide front and narrow back architectural layout designed by the ancestors, a natural wind tunnel has been formed, which makes the sand unable to retain into the temple courtyard and forms the wonder of "sand cannot enter the temple".

Address:

Lianbo Village, Yangcun Town, Hejin City.

Opening hours: Open all year round

Ticket price: free

Traffic guide:

For bus: Arrive the Temple directly by taking bus no.5 from Hejin Bus Station.

For Self-driving:

Route 1: get out from highway Hejin south exit, go west along National Highway 108 for 13.3 kilometers, turn left and go along Tourist Road for 3 kilometers, then the Temple appears.

Route 2: get out from highway Hejin west Exit, go south along National Highway 108 for 4 kilometers, turn right and go along Tourist Road for 3 kilometers, then the Temple appears.