Yongle Palace Museum (Yongle Gong)
The Yongle Palace (永乐宫) is a Yuan-dynasty Quanzhen Taoist monastery in Ruicheng County, Yuncheng, Shanxi, built in honor of the immortal Lü Dongbin. Its four main halls preserve roughly 1,000 square meters of Yuan-dynasty murals, led by the 'Procession of Immortals' (Chaoyuan Tu) in the Sanqing Hall. The whole complex was moved 25 km in 1959-1964 to save it from the Sanmenxia Dam reservoir.
Xi'an · history museum2026-10-18
Quick Answer
Is Yongle Palace Museum (Yongle Gong) worth visiting?
Yuan-dynasty Taoist complex at Ruicheng (Yuncheng, Shanxi) — the largest surviving ensemble of Yuan murals in China, led by the 'Procession of Immortals'. About 2 hours from Xi'an by rail. ¥60.
Quick facts
| Category | history |
|---|---|
| Ticket | ¥60 (adults); concessions for students and seniors. |
| Hours | 8:30-17:30 (last entry about an hour before closing). |
| Recommended duration | 2-3 hours. |
| Best time to visit | April-October; spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. |
| How to get there | From Xi'an North, the high-speed train to Yuncheng West takes about 2 hours; Yuncheng is roughly 70 km from Ruicheng county, reached by bus or taxi. The palace stands on the northern edge of Ruicheng town. |
| English signage | Partial |
Why visit
The Yongle Palace murals are the largest body of Yuan-dynasty wall painting to survive anywhere — the Procession of Immortals alone fills the Sanqing Hall with 286 deities streaming across the walls in a single ceremonial procession. The timber halls themselves, with original 13th-14th century dougong bracket sets, are among the great Yuan buildings still standing, and the story of the palace's rescue — dismantled and moved 25 km ahead of the reservoir flood — is a defining episode of Chinese heritage preservation.
Collection highlights
- The Procession of Immortals (朝元图) in the Sanqing Hall — 286 larger-than-life deities crossing some 400 square meters of wall, the masterpiece of Chinese Taoist mural painting
- Chunyang Hall murals — 52 painted scenes narrating the life of Lü Dongbin, the Tang-era immortal the palace commemorates
- Yuan-dynasty timber architecture — the Wuji Gate, Sanqing, Chunyang and Chongyang halls retain their original dougong bracket sets
- The 1959-1964 relocation — the entire complex was dismantled and moved 25 km to escape the rising Sanmenxia reservoir, murals included
- Quanzhen Taoism heritage — the palace rose around Lü Dongbin's birthplace and ranked among the school's great ancestral centers
Tips
- Combine with the nearby Guangrenwang Temple (广仁王庙) in Ruicheng — one of the oldest surviving Taoist buildings in China, dating to the Tang dynasty
- The murals hang in dim halls and flash photography is prohibited — give your eyes time to adjust and move slowly
Frequently asked questions
What are the Yongle Palace murals?
The palace preserves about 1,000 square meters of Yuan-dynasty (1271-1368) Taoist murals, the largest surviving ensemble of Taoist wall painting in China. The masterpiece is the "Procession of Immortals" (朝元图) in the Sanqing Hall — 286 deities, most larger than life, in procession across roughly 400 square meters of wall. The Chunyang and Chongyang halls narrate the lives of Lü Dongbin and Wang Chongyang in painted scenes.
Why is the palace in Ruicheng and not at its original site?
The palace originally stood at Yongle Town on the Yellow River, Lü Dongbin's birthplace. When the Sanmenxia Dam reservoir threatened to flood the site, the entire complex was dismantled and relocated about 25 km to the northern edge of Ruicheng county town between 1959 and 1964 — an engineering landmark that saved the buildings and murals intact.
Can I visit the Yongle Palace from Xi'an on a day trip?
Yes, but it is a long day. The high-speed train from Xi'an North to Yuncheng West takes about 2 hours; from Yuncheng, buses and taxis cover the remaining 70 km to Ruicheng. Most visitors pair the palace with the Tang-dynasty Guangrenwang Temple nearby and return to Xi'an or continue to the Guandi Temple of Jiezhou in Yuncheng.
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