Yuan you Palace, ancient architectural complex of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, is located in the south corner of Yingzhong town. It was built in the 19th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1540) and lasted ten years to complete. It is a group of central axisymmetrical palace buildings. It covers an area of more than 12000 square meters. The front hall is called Yuanyou hall, and the back is Jiangxiang hall with the same size and structure as the front hall. After the hall of descending auspiciousness is theThree Hole Pavilion, with the triple eaves of tiger seat and the corner of Xieshan. The left and right of the pavilion are corridor rooms, and the second floor of the bell and drum is surrounded by arches. Two stele pavilions were built in the palace. The stele of Yuanyou Palace, Chengtian Palace was on the left, and the stele of imperial edict on the right. In front of the palace gate, two memorial archways was respecyively built on the left and right, with five eaves on the top of the hall, Baozuo archway on the East and Yanxi archway on the West. Yuanyou Palace, with its strict structure and large scale, has always been regarded as the "Three Chu Grand View". At the end of the Ming Dynasty, more than half of them were destroyed by war. In the 14th yearof Shunzhi(1657), Chen Zhenyi, a Taoist of Yuanyou Palace, raised more than 30000 yuan to rebuild Yuanyou Palace. In the 21st year of Kangxi (1682), the 25th year of Qianlong (1760), and the 4th year of Tongzhi(1865), it was renovated successively, basically maintaining its original condition. In the 19th year of Guangxu (1893), the Three Hole Pavilion was destroyed, the remains of the base existing. Yuanyou Palace was included as a cultural relic protection unit in Hubei Province in 1961, and was announced as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council in 2006.
元佑宫毁于明未兵燹，清顺治、乾隆年间进行过重大维修。1938年，元佑宫被日本侵略军划为军事禁区，宫内总圣殿、三宫殿及部分石柱、石拦板、宫墙被毁。1968年，“文革”中御制承天府元佑宫纪成碑被炸毁，保祚坊亦被拆除。1979年5月，省文化厅文物处先后拨款18万元，修复了元佑宫门、钟、鼓二楼、元佑殿、宣法、衍真二配殿及东西厢房。1981年，省人民政府拨款修复三洞阁旧址及维修衍真殿、宣法殿及东西厢房。1982年，简修钟、鼓楼。1985年，落架维修延禧坊。1986年，维修琉璃琼花照壁。1997年，启动元佑殿维修工程。对室内地墁、门窗、屋面木基层及琉璃瓦件全部更换，对部分墙体进行维修，对木构件进行油饰，对殿前月台望柱、栏板、包鼓石、锁脚石进行更换。并对元佑殿四周地面进行海墁，使用资金76.6万元。1999年，启动钟、鼓楼维修工程。对室内地墁、门、隔扇窗、屋面及琉璃瓦件全部更换，对木构件进行油饰，用资金64万元。
