Anguo City, known as Qizhou in ancient times, is one of the famous distribution centers of traditional Chinese medicine in China's history. It is known as "drug capital" and "the first drug city in the world". The prosperity of Anguo pharmaceutical market originated from Yaowang temple. Anyone who participates in the drug market must go to visit the Yaowang temple.
Anguo Yaowang temple is located in the south of Anguo City (formerly Nanguan). It is the largest ancient architectural complex in China to commemorate the medical saints of previous dynasties. It was founded in the Taiping Xingguo period of the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 976-984). It has a history of thousands of years. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit.
Pitong, the medicine King worshipped in the temple, was one of the 28 generals under Liu Xiu, the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was the prefect of Quyang (now Jinzhou City, Hebei Province). Pitong assisted Liu Xiu to fight the world. He was brave, loyal and resourceful. He made immortal contributions to the establishment and defense of the rivers and mountains of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was an official to Taichang Shaofu (equivalent to the prime minister). Pitong loved medicine and was popular among the army and the people. After his death, he was buried outside the South Gate of Qizhou.
There is a myth and legend about the origin of Anguo Yaowang temple. It is said that King Qin of Song Dynasty had a disease and could not be cured for a long time. Pitong showed his spirit to cure it. King Qin of Song Dynasty asked him his name and told him that "outsiders at the South Gate of Qizhou also", "sending envoys is his place, and then he knew it as a God", so he granted the king a temple to worship it. In the first year of the establishment of the Jingguo state in the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 1101), Pitong was granted Hou, and then changed to duke. In the sixth year of Xianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1270), he was granted "King Huixian of Lingzhao in the Ming Dynasty". With the continuous grant of Pitong by the emperor, "medicine king" has a greater and greater influence. The establishment of Yaowang Temple reflects the posterity's nostalgia for Pitong, who was virtuous to the people. Since the establishment of the temple for Pitong, the general public have turned to the medicine king when they are ill. Good men and women often come to offer incense. The medicine manufacturers take the opportunity to sell medicine, and gradually form a temple fair for medicinal materials on April 28 of the lunar calendar. It has lasted for hundreds of years, so that there is a saying that "when grass comes to Anguo, it becomes medicine, and when medicine comes to Qizhou, it produces fragrance".
In the second year of Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1404 AD), the Yaowang temple was expanded based on the Yaowang temple in Lin'an (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang) of the Song Dynasty, with Pitong tomb as the center. After successive repairs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it became the current scale. The Yaowang temple complex covers an area of more than 3200 square meters. It sits from east to west and has a strict structure. It is composed of memorial archway, horse hall, bell and Drum Tower, Yaowang tomb Pavilion, tablet room, ten famous doctor halls, Yaowang main hall and back hall.
The plaque of "Yaowang Temple" hanging above the mountain gate was inscribed by Liu Yong, a Bachelor of Dongge during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. The memorial archway outside the mountain gate is a double eaves veranda style building, which is covered by yellow glazed tiles
Three rooms and four columns, decorated with bucket arches. In the middle of the plaque, there are large gold characters of "Xianling Hebei". There are a pair of stone lions on both sides of the archway. Outside the stone lions stand two iron flagpoles up to 24 meters high, each weighing about 30000 kg. There is a couplet cast on the two iron flagpoles: "iron tree, double flags, light and fight; Shenxiu, Puyin and virtue are towering." Wind bells are hung on the iron flagpole, ringing in the wind, giving people a sense of distance and solemnity.
Yaowang tomb Pavilion is in the middle yard of Yaowang temple. The tomb is a pavilion style, with wooden arches and ridges and glazed tile roof. It is exquisite and unique in shape and full of national characteristics. The inscription on the tombstone reads "to seal the tomb of King Huixian, Lingzhao of the Ming Dynasty". In the north, South and west of the tombstone, there are dozens of Steles, recording the development and changes of Yaowang temple and Yaodu.
In the side halls on the north and south sides of the Yaowang Temple Pavilion, there are ten famous medical figures such as Bian que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Zhang Zihe and Liu Hejian. These statues are said to be the works of Tianjin clay figurine Zhang Yuanzu. They are neat and fine, with both form and spirit.
The main hall of Yaowang temple is the main hall of Yaowang temple. In the center of the hall is the sitting figure of Yaowang dressed in Dragon Robe. It is energetic, dignified and kind. On both sides of the medicine king, there are eight heroic generals, which adds a solemn and dignified atmosphere to the main hall. The main hall is magnificent, exquisitely carved and covered with glazed tiles.
Anguo drug market originated from Yaowang temple, which is famous for the drug market. In 1981, the national medical delegation went to Osaka, Japan to visit the Yaowang temple there. Unexpectedly, the first sentence said by the female commentator was that "(Japan's) Yaowang came from Qizhou, China."
Yaowang temple has three of the highest tourist resources in China: one is the largest Yaowang temple complex in China; Second, the medicine King's tomb was built in a temple, which is unique in China; Third, on the square outside the temple, there is a 24 meter high cast iron flagpole, each weighing 15 tons. On the flagpole, there are two knowledge Panlong, three Diao Dou and Xiang Feng on the top. In the middle, there is a cast iron couplet: "iron tree, double flags, light fighting, Shenxiu, Puyin and virtue towering". This shape is unique in the country. This ancient building was badly damaged during the war and the "Cultural Revolution". Since 1958, the Yaowang temple has been repaired and its appearance has taken on a new look. After the establishment of Yaowang temple, good men and women prayed and worshipped, and incense was very prosperous. Later, it gradually developed into an Guo temple fair. The largest market for medicinal materials in the North has been formed through the gathering of merchants and exchange of department stores. It is said that Anguo pharmaceutical originated from Yaowang temple. Yaowang temple has been listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit.