Plan at a glance
Location and entrance
Yongle Palace is at No. 128 Yongle North Road in Ruicheng County, Yuncheng. The scenic area has a single entrance on the south side, so all visitors enter there. Drivers can navigate to “Yongle Palace”; the car park has ample spaces, and the visit follows the north–south central axis.
Tickets, reservations and opening
The ticket is CNY 60 per person in peak season (April–October) and CNY 40 in the off-season (November–March of the following year); students pay half price and visitors aged 60 or above enter free. Reserve in advance through the official WeChat account. Foreign visitors should confirm which document is accepted for the real-name reservation, entry check and student or senior concession; do not assume the Chinese identity-card process applies. In peak season, opening is 08:00–18:00 with last admission at 17:30; in the off-season, it is 09:00–17:00 with last admission at 16:30.
Who should allow how much time?
Allow 1.5–2 hours for Dragon and Tiger Hall, Three Pure Ones Hall and Chunyang Hall. Allow 2.5–3 hours for all four main halls, the gardens and the murals. The grounds are long from north to south and the interiors are dim, so wear shoes suited to walking and include last admission and the return journey in your timing.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
Choose your visit
The four Yuan-dynasty halls
Dragon and Tiger Hall, Three Pure Ones Hall, Chunyang Hall and Chongyang Hall form the core of Yongle Palace. Take time outside each hall to look at the glazed roof ridges, plaques and brackets. Each hall has its own subject; following the central axis in order gives a first-time visitor the clearest sequence.
The “Chao Yuan Tu” mural in Three Pure Ones Hall
The Yuan-dynasty “Chao Yuan Tu” mural in Three Pure Ones Hall covers about 403 square metres and depicts 286 deities paying homage to Yuanshi Tianzun. The figures’ poses and the drawn lines reward a slower look, making this the main focus of a Yongle Palace visit. Keep your distance from the mural and do not touch the walls or pigments.
Chunyang Hall and Chongyang Hall
Chunyang Hall presents painted episodes from Lü Dongbin’s life, while Chongyang Hall adds context on Quanzhen Daoism. Visitors interested in murals, Daoist architecture and the history of relocation can take the complete route. With limited time, give Three Pure Ones Hall and Chunyang Hall priority, then decide whether to add Chongyang Hall and the garden area.
Build your day
A 1.5–2-hour short route
Enter through the South Gate and follow the central axis north to Dragon and Tiger Hall, Three Pure Ones Hall and Chunyang Hall, then return to the entrance by the signed route. Look at the guardian figures and exterior timber structure at Dragon and Tiger Hall, focus on the “Chao Yuan Tu” in Three Pure Ones Hall, and see Lü Dongbin’s painted biography in Chunyang Hall. This works well for a first visit with limited time.
A 2.5–3-hour complete route
Follow South Gate → Dragon and Tiger Hall → Three Pure Ones Hall → Chunyang Hall → Chongyang Hall → the ancient-building garden area, then return towards the South Gate. At each hall, look at the exterior structure before entering for the murals or sculptures, and give Three Pure Ones Hall the longest stop. After the garden, follow the entrance direction back to the car park or transfer point. Guangren Wang Temple is about 1–2 kilometres outside Yongle Palace and has separate entrance and ticket arrangements.
A good pace for the murals
Wear shoe covers inside the halls. No flash or touching is allowed in the mural areas, and photography follows the on-site notices. An individual guide or a shared group guide costs about CNY 80 per group, for up to eight people; if no suitable session is available, the labels are enough to complete the route, so you do not have to wait and risk missing the return vehicle.
Get there
Public transport from Yuncheng
From central Yuncheng, take bus 109 and get off at “Dongmao Station” (东茂站), then change to a shared e-bike or taxi. The final section takes about 10 minutes; a taxi fare is about CNY 7. The first bus 109 leaves Yuncheng North Railway Station at about 06:00, but confirm early and return services before you go.
From Ruicheng and the final walk
You can also get off at “Ruicheng Passenger Transport Centre.” Shared e-bikes are limited nearby, and the walk takes about 30 minutes. After arriving by public transport, arrange the final connection before entering; drivers can use the scenic-area car park and avoid changing vehicles in the county town.
Ruicheng heritage connection
Guangren Wang Temple is about 1–2 kilometres from Yongle Palace, roughly 10 minutes by car, so the two can be visited on the same day. They have separate tickets and opening arrangements; Yongle Palace’s CNY 60/40 ticket, shoe-cover rule and mural-protection requirements do not apply to Guangren Wang Temple.
Know before you go
Light, footing and walking effort
The halls are dim and the north–south walking distance is substantial, so watch the steps and floor as you enter each one. Courtyards have strong sun in clear weather, while rain can make the soles of your shoes wet. Wear shoes with good grip and decide according to your energy whether to include Chongyang Hall and the garden section.
Photography and conservation
Flash and touching are prohibited for the interior murals; if photography is restricted on the day, focus on viewing. The museum’s 1:1 “Chao Yuan Tu” replica offers a different close-up look, but the replica and Yongle Palace’s original mural have separate locations and photography rules.
Reservations and food
Holiday crowds can slow real-name entry checks, and bus 109 may have limited seats. Foreign visitors should follow the document requirements confirmed in advance. A cooked-meat shop opposite Ruicheng Hotel on Yabao South Road offers bingzi stuffed with meat, pork-tripe soup and meatball soup; a meal costs around CNY 20 per person. Check its hours before eating ahead of the return journey.