The saying goes, “In Kaifeng there was Bao Qingtian, a judge with an iron face, distinguishing the loyal from the treacherous.” Bao Gong, who served as the Prefect of Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty, was known for his integrity and fearlessness in the face of power and authority, applying the law with unwavering rigor. The Baogong Temple, located by the Bao Gong Lake in the southwest of Kaifeng City, is a memorial temple built to honor the upright official Bao Zheng. Since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, a temple has been established in Kaifeng to commemorate Bao Gong, and the current temple was rebuilt at its present location in the 1980s.
The Baogong Temple is not large in size, consisting of a complex of ancient-style buildings that emulate the Song Dynasty. It includes a main hall, a secondary hall, eastern and western side halls, a half-wall corridor, and a stele pavilion. Inside the main hall, visitors can see a bronze statue of Bao Gong standing over 3 meters tall. Dressed in official robes and a headdress, Bao Gong sits upright, with historical relics and books reflecting his true life and integrity displayed on both sides of the statue.
The secondary hall exhibits Bao Gong’s declaration of office, the Kaifeng Prefecture’s inscribed stele, his family precepts, calligraphy, and epitaphs. The Kaifeng Prefecture’s inscribed stele bears the names and tenure dates of 183 prefects over 148 years of the Northern Song Dynasty, with a deep凹痕 under Bao Gong’s name, a result of people pointing at his name over time.
In the eastern and western side halls, Bao Gong’s legends and historical stories are presented with a combination of text and images. A favorite among visitors is the group of wax figures in the eastern hall, depicting the ‘Za Mei Case,’ which are life-sized, vividly colored, and lifelike. Some of the historical relics displayed in the temple are replicas, with the originals having been transferred to museums. Adjacent to the ticket office, there is a guide service point where visitors can hire a guide for an explanation (for a fee). The temple is open from 07:00 to 19:00 from April 1st to October 31st, and from 07:30 to 18:00 from November 1st to March 31st.
Preferential policies include: Children under 1.2 meters (inclusive) enter for free with a ticket stub from the ticket office; Children/Elderly/Students: Minors aged 6 (not including 6) to 18 (not including 18), full-time undergraduate students and below (with ID or student card), and elderly aged 60 (inclusive) to under 70 (not including 70) (with their ID), enjoy half-price admission; Elderly aged 70 (inclusive) and above enjoy free admission with an elderly card or ID; Disabled individuals with a disability certificate and active-duty military personnel with an officer’s certificate enter for free; Youth from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan enjoy half-price admission with valid identification such as the ‘Hong Kong and Macao Residents Traveling to Mainland Permit,’ ‘Taiwan Residents Traveling to Mainland Permit,’ or student IDs.
Additional information: The above information is for reference only; please check the announcements made by the scenic area on the day of your visit for specific details.
Service facilities parking lot: **Bao Gong Ci Parking Lot** Reference price: 5 yuan per time; Address: Parking lot on the left side of the ticket office at No. 1, Xiangyang Road, Kaifeng County, Kaifeng City, Henan Province; There are two entrances and exits for Bao Gong Ci, and one on Bao Gong Lake West Road; Capacity: 20
