Yongle Palace is world-renowned for its exquisite murals. The “Hundred Immortals in Homage to the Taoist Trinity” in the Sanqing Hall is magnificent, with nearly 300 on-duty gods depicted vividly. The lines are smooth, elegant yet forceful, and the colors remain vivid after hundreds of years, making it a peak work of ancient Chinese murals.
The murals in the Chunyang Hall take the life story of Lu Dongbin as the theme and are presented in the form of comic strips, showing the rich social life style of the Yuan Dynasty and superb painting skills.
Architectural Features
Its architectural layout is spacious. Along the central axis are arranged the main buildings such as the Palace Gate, Longhu Hall, Sanqing Hall, Chunyang Hall, and Chongyang Hall in sequence. Each hall has upturned eaves, Dougong brackets, and beautifully carved beams and painted rafters.
The Palace Gate is a Qing Dynasty building with a regular structure; the Longhu Hall contains Yuan Dynasty murals and shrines with a simple and ancient style; the Sanqing Hall is the main hall in the palace, magnificent in architecture, with a spacious interior that complements the murals; the Chunyang Hall and Chongyang Hall are slightly smaller in architectural scale but each has its own characteristics. The beam frame structure inside the hall shows the wisdom and craftsmanship of ancient architecture.
Recommended Visiting Route
Enter through the Palace Gate and first visit the Longhu Hall to experience the simple and ancient atmosphere of the original palace gate of Yongle Palace and enjoy the wonderful murals and Yuan Dynasty architectural components inside.
Then enter the Sanqing Hall and spend a relatively long time carefully appreciating the grandeur and exquisiteness of the “Hundred Immortals in Homage to the Taoist Trinity” and experiencing its artistic charm.
Subsequently, go to the Chunyang Hall to view the murals themed on Lu Dongbin’s story and understand the details of the social life of the Yuan Dynasty and other implications.
Finally, visit the Chongyang Hall to fully understand the development history of Wang Chongyang, the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, and Quanzhen Taoism.
Tickets and Opening Hours
Ticket Price: [specific ticket amount], which may be adjusted according to different seasons or special exhibitions.
Opening Hours: During the peak season ([specific peak season time period]) [opening time]-[closing time]; during the off-season ([specific off-season time period]) [opening time]-[closing time].
Transportation Guide
Self-driving: If you choose to drive by yourself, you can navigate to the parking lot of Yongle Palace Scenic Area through the navigation software. The traffic signs around the scenic area are relatively clear.
Public Transportation
If you start from a nearby city, you can first take a train or long-distance bus to Ruicheng County Town, and then take a bus to Yongle Palace at Ruicheng Bus Station and get off at Yongle Palace Station.
Food Guide
Local Specialty Foods
Ruicheng Sesame Slices (Ruicheng Ma Pian)
Features: As thin as paper, crystal clear, with a sweet honey taste, crispy in the mouth, and a strong sesame fragrance.
Where to Taste: In some traditional pastry shops in Ruicheng County Town, such as [specific shop name 1], you can buy authentic Ruicheng Sesame Slices.
Bubble Oil Cake (Pao Pao You Gao)
Features: The cake flour is scalded with boiling water and kneaded evenly, then wrapped with fillings made of white sugar, osmanthus, rose, peach kernels, cooked flour, etc. After being fried, the cake surface puffs up like a bubble made of tulle, and it tastes sweet and delicious.
Where to Taste: The Bubble Oil Cake at [specific snack stall name 1] in the county town is quite famous and is frequented by many locals.
Braised Pork in a Bun (Lu Rou Jia Bing)
Features: Special local buns are used to sandwich pork that has been marinated in an old brine soup for several hours. The meat is fragrant, and the buns absorb the flavor of the meat juice, making the taste excellent.
Where to Taste: The Braised Pork in a Bun at [specific restaurant name 1] is a must-try for many tourists.
Restaurant Recommendations
[Restaurant Name 2]
Special Dishes: In addition to the above-mentioned Braised Pork in a Bun, their Ruicheng Stewed Vegetables is also very distinctive. It is made by stewing a variety of fresh local vegetables and meat, with a rich soup and high nutritional value.
Address: Located at [specific street address 1] in Ruicheng County Town, with convenient transportation and a clean and tidy interior environment.
[Restaurant Name 3]
Special Dishes: Its specialty is Yellow River Carp, which uses fresh carp from the Yellow River. With unique cooking methods, whether it is braised in soy sauce or steamed, the fish meat is tender and delicious. At the same time, it also offers various farm dishes made with local ingredients.
Address: At [specific street address 2] near Yongle Palace, within walking distance after visiting Yongle Palace, which is convenient for tourists to have a meal.
