Plan at a glance
Find Qingxu Temple on East Street
Qingxu Temple is at No. 109 East Street in Pingyao Ancient City, close to the eastern city wall. Its Taoist compound contains buildings from different periods. Enter from East Street; walking from Yingxun Gate (South Gate) along the main street takes about 15–20 minutes. Look for the wooden gateway arch and the day’s access notice when you arrive.
The visit centres on the Dragon-and-Tiger Hall, Sanqing Hall, timber frames and painted sculptures. You do not need to cover every courtyard. The open area of individual halls may change, so use the entrance notice and day-of-visit conditions to see whether the final courtyard is accessible.
Tickets and opening hours
Qingxu Temple is one of Pingyao Ancient City’s 22 core attractions and uses the adult CNY 125 pass, valid for three days after activation with one entry per attraction. Entry to the ancient city currently requires an advance ID-based reservation; confirm the requirement through the Pingyao Ancient City Scenic Area official service platform before setting out. Follow the day’s ticket rules when entering.
In summer, the usual hours are 8:00–18:30, with ticket checks ending at 18:15. Seasonal arrangements and the open areas of the compound may change. If you plan an eastern-city route, read the entrance notice first; the public walking hours of East Street do not determine when Qingxu Temple closes.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
Timber frames and sculptures in the Dragon-and-Tiger Hall
The Dragon-and-Tiger Hall is the temple’s main architectural highlight. It retains Yuan-dynasty features and the “suspended beam and hanging column” method: slanting beams transfer the roof load outward while hanging columns remain suspended, creating a broader interior. Look up at the timber frame first, then relate it to the way the hall carries its weight.
The Azure Dragon and White Tiger Star Lords inside are painted sculptures about 5 m high, dating from the late Yuan to early Ming period. They wear armour and stand on demons. View their proportions and poses from the front, follow the day’s rules for distance, lighting and photography, and do not approach or touch the sculptures.
Sanqing Hall and the Touling Stele
Sanqing Hall is a Ming-dynasty building. The courtyard contains an imperial-edict stele with Phags-pa script and Chinese text side by side. Moisture seeps through the stele in rainy weather, which gave it the name “Touling Stele.” This describes the material and environmental conditions; do not touch the surface in the rain or add unverified mystical explanations to the name.
The arch-eye wall of Sanqing Hall also retains Ming-dynasty suspended dragon and phoenix sculptures with no visible support members. Whether you can enter the hall, photograph the details or approach to a certain distance depends on the day’s open areas and signs.
Build your day
A 30–40 minute short route
Enter through the wooden gateway arch and start at the Dragon-and-Tiger Hall, looking for the suspended-beam structure and the Azure Dragon and White Tiger sculptures. Continue through Chunyang Palace, then finish at Sanqing Hall with the Touling Stele and suspended dragon and phoenix sculptures. Follow the open passage to the exit. Allow 30–40 minutes; this covers the temple’s most distinctive buildings and objects.
If the final courtyard or a side hall is closed, turn back at the barrier rather than changing the route to search for the Jade Emperor Pavilion. Afterwards, return to East Street and continue towards the eastern wall or another eastern-city attraction. The short visit excludes the walk to the next stop.
A 40–60 minute eastern-city route
Qingxu Temple is somewhat separate from the core street route, but it can combine with the City God Temple and Confucian Temple as a 40–60 minute eastern-city walk. Start at the Dragon-and-Tiger Hall and Sanqing Hall, then walk west to the City God Temple and Confucian Temple, or reverse the order according to the day’s open areas and your group’s energy.
The three compounds have different themes: Qingxu covers Taoist timber frames and painted sculptures, the City God Temple covers its three-temple layout and Six Offices Court, and the Confucian Temple covers Jin-dynasty Dacheng Hall and the examination display. Each has separate entrance, photography and access rules. The 40–60 minutes includes the lane walking between them, so the time inside each compound will be shorter.
If Qingxu is your only stop
If you only want Qingxu Temple, the 30–40 minute short route is enough. If you already plan to buy the ancient-city pass and enter several ticketed attractions, add Qingxu to the eastern-city route. Whether the pass is worthwhile depends on the number of ticketed attractions you actually enter, not the length of one visit.
If some spaces are closed, keep the Dragon-and-Tiger Hall, Sanqing Hall and Touling Stele route within the open courtyards, then use the remaining time on East Street or the city wall. Focus on the buildings available that day rather than repeatedly circling a closed area.
Get there
Walk along East Street
After entering through Yingxun Gate (South Gate), walk east along the main street for about 15–20 minutes to No. 109 East Street. Navigate to “Qingxu Temple” and East Street No. 109, then use the gateway arch, building sign and on-site directions to identify the entrance.
Core lanes in the ancient city restrict outside vehicles. Leave the car near a gate and walk to East Street. If you are coming from the wall or South Street, add the walking distance inside the city and crowd levels before deciding whether Qingxu fits into the day’s eastern-city route.
Where to go after the temple
From Qingxu Temple, continue west along East Street towards the City God Temple, Confucian Temple or County Yamen, or turn towards the eastern city wall. Each stop has independent entrance and opening hours. If Qingxu closes earlier, continue through the lanes to the next attraction rather than waiting at the closed gate.
To return to your parking area or accommodation, walk towards the selected city gate before arranging outside transport. Shuanglin Temple, Zhenguo Temple and See Pingyao Again are not part of this eastern-city route; confirm their locations, tickets and return arrangements separately.
Know before you go
Put the current open area first
The open area of individual halls may change. If there is a barrier, closure notice or temporary route at the entrance, follow the area that is open that day; photographs from another date cannot guarantee access to the whole compound.
Timber frames, painted sculptures, steles and suspended sculptures are protected buildings or displays. Read the hall signs before taking photographs. Strong light, flash, touching objects and crossing barriers may breach the site rules, so keep the required distance.
Pass, explanations and breaks
If Qingxu is your only stop, weigh the CNY 125 pass against the other ticketed attractions already in your plan. The pass’s three-day validity does not replace checking the day’s open areas. An official guide or audio guide may be available; ask on site.
For food near Qingxu, return towards South Street or continue along East Street, using restaurants and snack shops according to their hours, prices and menus that day. There are no fixed food facilities inside the temple, so rest in an open area outside before continuing on foot or walking back to a city gate.