Visit Bao Gong's Ancestral Temple during the May Day holiday
Kaifeng Bao Gong's Ancestral Temple Travel Guide: After visiting the Kaifeng Mansion, be sure to visit Bao Gong's Ancestral Temple. The temple is not large, and after touring the main hall, you'll come to the lakeside. On one side is the magnificent Bao Gong Lake, and on the other is a scene of small bridges over flowing water and koi fish swimming, offering a unique charm.
Ticket Price: 26, half price on-site purchase for those over 60, free for children under 6 years old
Visiting Time: 2.5h
Recommended Tour Route:
Main Gate → Second Gate → Shadow Wall → Stele Pavilion → Second Hall (Bao Gong's stone carving rubbings, tomb stele, and tombstone) → East Side Hall (group wax figures 'The Case of the Beautiful Woman Being Chopped', torture instruments) → West Side Hall (portraits of Bao Gong) → Main Hall (sitting statue of Bao Gong) → Moon Gate → Ling Shi Garden → Half-Wall Corridor
The main exhibition area of Bao Gong's Ancestral Temple includes the Main Hall, Second Hall, East and West Side Halls, corridors, Stele Pavilion, Main Gate, Second Gate, etc., displaying Bao Gong's bronze statue, bronze guillotine, wax figures of Bao Gong judging cases, historical documents about Bao Gong, 'Kaifeng Mansion Inscription Stele', inscriptions, etc. The garden and scenic area contain rockeries, waterfalls, stone carvings, etc. Inside the Main Hall, at the center is a sitting statue of Bao Gong over 3 meters high, with historical relics displayed on both sides, including bowls and inkstones unearthed from Bao Gong's tomb, collections of Chen State Mansion records, Bao family genealogies, etc. The gable wall is adorned with colored pottery murals reflecting Bao Gong's political achievements. Inside the Second Hall, there are stone carving rubbings of Bao Gong, tomb stele, tombstone, and handwritten Qi Mountain, etc. The East Hall mainly contains group wax figures 'The Case of the Beautiful Woman Being Chopped' and torture instruments used by Bao Gong in law enforcement. The West Hall treasures portraits of Bao Gong, classic novels and film and television works about Bao Gong's stories, as well as exhibitions of Bao Zheng's clothing and Song Dynasty transportation tools such as passenger ships.
Recommended Check-in Spots:
1. Second Hall. It houses authentic historical materials about Bao Gong. There is a stone carving rubbing of Bao Gong. In the center of the Second Hall stands a stone stele 'Inscription of Kaifeng Mansion', a relic from the Northern Song Dynasty, engraved with the names and tenure dates of 183 prefects of Kaifeng Mansion from the Northern Song Dynasty. Only under Bao Gong's name is there a deep finger mark. This is a mark worn by people over time due to their respect and love for Bao Gong, as they pointed and touched the inscription.
2. East Hall. It displays the wax figure of 'The Case of the Beautiful Woman Being Chopped' in the form of wax figures and murals. Above the public hall, Bao Gong, fearless of the powerful, enforces the law like a mountain, holding his black hat, orders the execution, preferring to lose his official position rather than harm the people, angrily beheading the ungrateful and murderous son-in-law Chen Shimei, who killed his wife and children, to seek justice for Qin Xianglian and her children.
3. West Hall. It presents Bao Gong's life story, clean governance, virtues, and various magical legends in the form of models and murals. In 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, extinguished the Later Zhou and established the Song Dynasty, making Kaifeng the capital, hence Kaifeng Mansion was known as 'the premier prefecture in the world'.
4. Main Hall. This is the part of the authentic history, with the four bold characters 'Upright and Bright' exuding a sense of righteousness. In the center is a sitting statue of Bao Gong, over 3 meters tall, weighing 2.5 tons. Historical relics are displayed on both sides of the Bao Gong sitting statue, including bowls, cups, wooden figurines, and ordinary inkstones unearthed from Bao Gong's tomb. The gable wall is inlaid with colored pottery murals reflecting Bao Gong's political achievements, with dragon and phoenix patterns on the edges of the murals.
5. Ling Shi Garden. The Ling Shi Garden of Bao Gong's Ancestral Temple adds a touch of elegance compared to the solemnity of the temple.