The national key cultural relics protection unit is the highest level of protection approved by China for immovable cultural relics. In October 2019, Jieyang City God Temple was approved and announced by the State Council as the eighth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. Together with the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units selected in 2013 - Jieyang Xuegong, Gurong Wu Temple (Guandi Temple) and Ding's Guanglu Ancestral Hall (Ding Richang's former residence), Jieyang already has 4 immovable cultural relics "National Security".
These 4 Jieyang "national security" have distinct characteristics and outstanding cultural and historical value, which are the precious memories of Jieyang. If you want to learn about jieyang stories, don't miss them!
Jieyang Xuegong: the pearl of ancient architecture in Lingdong
Jieyang Xuegong is located on the east side of the intersection of Hanci Road in Rongcheng Jinxian Gate, covering an area of 5526 square meters. In the tenth year of shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1140), the Jieyang Xuegong was first built, and after more than 10 reconstructions and reconstructions, successive generations of craftsmen exhibited their strengths here, and finally formed the Ming and Qing architectural styles seen now.
Jieyang Xuegong (Photo by Tu Yingpeng)
Jieyang Xuegong is a larger and well-preserved building of the same kind in Guangdong Province, with high scientific research value and artistic level, and is known as "the pearl of ancient architecture in Lingdong".
The Palace adopts a palace-style high platform foundation, symmetrical central axis layout, and is composed of more than 20 single buildings. The main buildings are Lingxing Gate, Panchi, Panqiao, Dacheng Gate, Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Ancestral Hall, Xiangxian Ancestral Hall, Mingxian Ancestral Hall, Dongxi Temple, Dongxi Zhai and so on. The wooden trusses, doors and windows arches, ceramic sculptures and inlaid porcelain, as well as the use of brick and stone wood carving and stucco inlaid porcelain three plastics and other processes, clearly laid the brand of Chaoshan culture.
Interior view of Jieyang Xue palace (Photo by Zheng Chufan)
During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, Zhou Enlai went to Jieyang three times to stay and work at the Jieyang Xuegong. On September 26, 1927, under the direct care and guidance of Zhou Enlai, the jieyang workers' and peasants' revolutionary committee, the first red regime in Jieyang, was established in the Dacheng Hall of Jieyang Xuegong. The Chongsheng Ancestral Hall of Jieyang Xuegong has a special exhibition entitled "Comrade Zhou Enlai's Revolutionary Activities in Jieyang", which exhibits the deeds of Zhou Enlai's three visits to Jieyang, pictures of his life, and the physical objects of his stay and office in Jieyang Xuegong that year.
In 1957, Jieyang Xuegong was listed by the People's Government of Guangdong Province as a provincial-level ancient architectural cultural relics protection unit. In 1978, it was re-examined and announced by the Revolutionary Committee of Guangdong Province as a provincial key cultural relics protection unit, named "Comrade Zhou Enlai's Revolutionary Activity Site". In April 2000, it was announced as a provincial patriotic education base by the Guangdong Provincial Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee and the Propaganda Department of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee. In May 2013, it was approved by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Ancient Rongwu Temple (Guandi Temple)
The encounter between the Central Plains and Lingnan
Ancient Rongwu Temple, also known as Wu Temple, Jieyang Guandi Temple, is located in Tianfu Road, Rongcheng District, sitting north facing south, covers an area of 1400 square meters, was built in the 29th year of the Ming Wanli Calendar (1601), has been rebuilt in previous generations, has a history of more than 400 years. In the winter of the forty-second year of Qianlong (1777), Liu Yeqin of Zhixian County saw that the foundation of the temple was narrow, donated money to buy a nearby shop for expansion, and built a new stage in front of the temple.
Ancient Rongwu Temple (Photo by Zheng Chufan)
The ancient Rongwu Temple is a three-entry courtyard quadrangle layout, with the main hall, front and back halls, east and west halls and mountain gates, all of which are traditional brick and wood structures, and the entire temple architectural style not only integrates the essence of the Central Plains and Western Guangdong cultures of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but also has the characteristics of Jieyang Chaoshan.
The wood carvings of the ancient Rongwu Temple are a must, and the temple can be seen everywhere in the ornate and exquisite wood carving decoration. The entrance hall is topped with carved Bagua-shaped wood carved algae wells, which are rare in the province and even in China, with exquisite patterns and rich themes. The picture is dense and layered, and through the hollowing, it breaks through the limitations of space and time. In addition to exquisite carving, intricate patterns, and skillful knife skills, the special value of wood carving is also reflected in its wide range of themes, such as the three kingdoms story of Taoyuan Sanjieyi, and also reflects the themes of sea tribes and farming life in the history of Chaoshan region, with unique ingenuity, different characteristics of the times and local flavors.
Ancient Rongwu Temple Bagua shaped wood carved algae well (Source: Jieyang Daily)
Another major feature of the ancient Rongwu Temple is the various inscriptions left in the process of many expansions and reconstructions, especially the Inscription of the Fujian Inspector Ding Richang, who lived in Jieyang during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, asked Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor to award plaques for the Jieyang Guandi Temple, and the "Weixuan Nanhai" plaque awarded by Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor. In addition, there are two unique pairs of Yang Lian in the Guandi Temple: "Shi Wolong, Youzi Dragon, Dragon Master Dragon Friend; Brother Yide, Brother Xuande, and Brother Dede." "Bing Candle avoids suspicion, Si Ye is single-minded in the Han Room; Hua Rong is not repaying morality, and at this time, his eyes are no longer Cao."
Interior view of the ancient Rongwu Temple (Source: Jieyang Daily)
Beiguan Emperor Temple Theatre, which integrates the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the traditional craft characteristics of Chaozhou, is one of the existing ancient opera stage buildings with a long history and large scale in eastern Guangdong, which not only has the function of theater performance, but also is a model of ancient opera stage architecture, and contains theatrical culture. Together with the Qing Dynasty, the Baosheng Emperor Temple Stage in Mianhu Lake, Jiexi County, is collectively known as the Jieyang Temple Stage "Double Absolute".
In July 2002, Jieyang Guandi Temple was announced by the People's Government of Guangdong Province as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit. In May 2013, it was approved by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Ding's Guanglu Ancestral Hall (Ding Richang's Former Residence)
Chaoshan ancestral hall is typical
Ding's Guanglu Ancestral Hall, commonly known as Ding Fu, was built in the early years of the Qing Dynasty, located in the middle of the North Jiao of Rongcheng, covering an area of about 6,000 square meters, and was the residence and ancestral hall of Ding Richang (1823-1882, Fengshun people), an important figure of the Qing Dynasty's Western affairs faction and patriotic politician, in Jieyang.
The main structure of the Ding's Guanglu Ancestral Hall is a high-level base three-entrance hall quadrangle, the plane is in the shape of "Xing", is a collection of sacrifice, living, book collection, education in one of the comprehensive functional building group, the scale of the building is grand, the layout is practical and generous, known as "Hundred Birds and Phoenix". The wood carving is exquisite and has local characteristics, which is a typical ancestral hall style in Chaoshan area, which is of great representative significance and research value in the architectural history of Chaoshan area.
Ding's Guanglu Ancestral Hall under renovation (Ding Richang's former residence) (Source: Jieyang Daily)
In 1993, DingFu was included in the Jieyang City Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 1998, "Ding Fu" was set aside as the "Ding Richang Memorial Hall" and the Municipal Folk Culture Museum, which preserves and exhibits some physical objects and photos about Ding Richang's life and deeds. In May 2013, it was approved by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Jieyang City God Temple: "Tide" wind "unveiling" taste
Jieyang City God Temple is located in Jieyang Rongcheng District Chenghuang Road, built in the second year of Ming Hongwu (1369), Ming Zhengde, Jiajing, Wanli, Qing Yongzheng, Qianlong years, has been repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. The current temple covers an area of 2056 square meters, which is the oldest, largest, best preserved ancient building of traditional shape and craftsmanship in Guangdong Province, and is also an important component of Jieyang Historical and Cultural City, with very important historical value, artistic value and scientific research value.
Jieyang City God Temple (Courtesy of Jieyang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism and Sports)
Jieyang City God Temple architecture integrates the style of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture and Chaoshan characteristics, with both earthquake resistance and typhoon prevention functions, more than 600 years after many earthquakes, typhoons still stand tall. The building sits on the north and faces the south, the pattern is strict, and the archway, the three mountain gates, the worship pavilion, the main hall, the health pool, the stone arch bridge, the lady hall, etc. are arranged in turn on the central axis, which is the layout of the three courtyards. The existing Lady Hall is well preserved in the Architectural Style of the Ming Dynasty. The main components of the main hall and the mountain gate, such as stone pillars and pillar foundations, are all remnants of the Ming Dynasty. The splendid inlaid porcelain and magnificent gray sculpture decoration on the building and a large number of exquisite wood carvings in the interior preserve the traditional construction techniques of the Chaoshan region of the Qing Dynasty, with distinct local characteristics and high artistic value.
Magnificent paintings of the City God Temple (Photo by Zheng Chufan)
Jieyang City God Temple roof inlaid porcelain (Photo by Zheng Chufan)
Jieyang City God Temple Worship Pavilion Hanging Flower Pillar (File Photo)
Jieyang City God Temple First Moon Folk Customs Activity (Photo by Zheng Chufan)
The dozens of calligraphy couplets in jieyang City God Temple not only show the beauty of Chinese calligraphy art and the wonders of YangLian art, but also profoundly interpret the core cultural connotation of the City God Temple - supporting justice. "For the good and not to prosper the ancestors will have remnants, and if they are exhausted, they will be prosperous; for the evil will not be destroyed, the ancestors will have residual virtue, and if the virtue is exhausted, they will be destroyed." "Ming Yin Dong Yang who is said to be discerning and non-heh; manifesting good and evil should be selfless in misfortune and happiness." Warnings and exhortations such as "It is useless to burn incense in doing evil deeds, and it is useless to see me with a straight heart" and "to be a good person who has a good heart and a stable body and a stable soul, and who does some good deeds, heaven knows the ghosts and gods."
Jieyang City God Temple Flower Hall (file photo)
In 1989, Jieyang City God Temple was listed as the third batch of provincial-level cultural relics protection units by the People's Government of Guangdong Province. In October 2019, it was approved and announced by the State Council as the eighth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Production unit: Guangdong Provincial People's Government Local History Office
Jieyang Municipal People's Government Local History Office
Editor: Xu Xinzhi