Beizhen Temple, Religious monument in Beizhen, China

Beizhen Temple is a house of worship in Beizhen that showcases traditional Chinese architecture built with stone and featuring classical design elements. The grounds contain multiple courtyards enclosed by protective walls that define and separate the sacred space from the surrounding city.

Founded in 594 as the Yiwulü Mountain Spirit Shrine, it was rebuilt in 1164 as the Guangning Spirit Shrine. In 1286 the mountain was ennobled as Prince Guangning and the shrine expanded; it was destroyed at the end of the Yuan. In 1370 it was rebuilt on the same site and renamed Beizhen Temple.

The temple is dedicated to the god of Mount Yiwulü, one of China's five sacred mountain-god shrines, not to the Buddha. Its name changed with each dynasty's favour: Yiwulü Mountain God Shrine under the Sui, Guangning God Shrine after the 1164 Jin rebuilding, Guangning King Shrine after the Yuan granted the mountain the title Zhende Guangning Wang, and Beizhen Temple from the 1370 Ming reconstruction. The 56 steles record imperial sacrifices.

The temple is located in Liaoning province and welcomes visitors during regular hours, with appropriate dress recommended to show respect for the sacred nature of the site. Visitors should remember they are entering an active place of worship and should explore the grounds with proper consideration.

The temple holds 56 stone steles from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the largest such collection among China's five sacred-mountain temples. They record imperial sacrifices and renovations; the earliest date to the Yuan era, when the shrine was renamed after Mount Yiwulü was granted the title King of Guangning.