Sima Qian Temple (Chinese: 司馬遷) is situated on the southeastern hummock of Zhichuan (芝川) County, Hancheng (韓城) City, Shaanxi (陜西) Province, China. Sima Qian (司馬遷) (145BC - ?) was a famous historian and litterateur of China, also a native of Hancheng.
The road towards Sima Qian Temple is steep and narrow, it is said that this road is an ancient road, and was the only passage from Hancheng to Shanxi (山西) Province.
Sima Qian Temple was built in the 4th year of Yongjia (永嘉) in the Western Jin (晉) Dynasty (310AD), which has about 1,700 years of history.
From the top of the hummock, you can enjoy the splendid view of Yellow River, which reflects the noble-minded personality and outstanding achievements of Sima Qian.
The main construction of Sima Qian Temple includes four exhibition rooms, respectively displaying an exhibition of Sima Qian's life, stories, inscriptions recording his great achievements and calligraphies of celebrities.
Sima Qian's tomb stands at the back of the temple, there is an old cypress growing upward to the zenith, and in front of the tomb stands a stone monument with the inscription of Bi Yuan (畢沅)，, the Circuit Inspector of Shaanxi in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
According to local legend, for fear of falling victim to familial extermination, they descendants of Sima Qian changed their surnames to Tong (同 = 丨+ 司) and Feng (馮 = 仌 + 馬), respectively, to hide their origins while continuing to secretly offer sacrifices to the Sima ancestors.
