Gai Zhou God of Wealth Temple

Gai Zhou God of Wealth Temple

The Gai Zhou God of Wealth Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Yingkou City.

The Gai Zhou God of Wealth Temple is located on the north side of Hongqi Avenue in Dongshi Community, Gulou Subdistrict Office, Gai Zhou City, in the northeast part of Gai Zhou Ancient Town, 30 meters west of the ancient city site.

The God of Wealth Temple was built in the sixth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1741), featuring a single-courtyard layout facing south. It consists of the main hall, east and west side halls, and the Five Saints Shrine. The main hall is the principal structure, built with a seven-rafter beam and front-and-rear corridor architectural style, also known as a five-rafter beam with one meter cantilevered on both the front and rear, forming a composite flush-gable roof building. It is three bays wide and five bays deep, measuring 10.5 meters in length and 13.3 meters in width. In front of the main hall is a six-rafter arched hall structure. There is no partition between the main hall and the front hall; the walls encase both structures into one composite building, connected only by a tie beam between the front columns of the main hall and the rear columns of the hall. On this tie beam are lotus pad supports that hold up the drainage gutter between the two eaves. The hall is a beam-style structure, with ten sets of bracket sets (dougong) on the front eaves, serving as a transition between the columns and the roof. Since both the main hall and the hall have flush-gable construction, there are no corner bracket sets. The bracket sets feature three upward-curving arms, with a doukou (bracket mouth) size of 0.07 meters. Originally, there were no partitions between the front eave columns of the hall, but the current door and window frames and threshold walls were likely added later for security and insulation. The east and west side halls each have five bays, measuring 17.27 meters in length and 6.39 meters in width, with a six-rafter front-eave corridor structure and flush-gable design. The Five Saints Shrine on the east side is three bays wide, 6.43 meters long from east to west, and 6.75 meters wide from north to south. There is also one side room, 6.43 meters long and 6.75 meters wide.

During the 2002 restoration of the God of Wealth Temple, a bell tower, a drum tower, and a mountain gate were added, along with a screen wall, and a cultural square was created in front of the mountain gate. Records from unearthed stone tablets in the courtyard indicate that the temple underwent two renovations, in the 27th year of the Daoguang reign and the 9th year of the Xianfeng reign. Currently, four fragmented steles remain in the courtyard: one incomplete donation stele from the sixth year of the Qianlong reign, and three donation steles from the ninth year of the Xianfeng reign's renovation.

The architecture of the God of Wealth Temple is exquisitely crafted, built according to Qing-style construction methods, with finely carved wooden frames—especially notable in the hall and corner brackets. The delicate wood carvings represent a recreation and fusion of southern Chinese architectural elements in the north, blending the styles of ancient temples from both regions. The construction of the God of Wealth Temple stands as evidence of Gai Zhou’s development as a commercial hub, merging northern and southern architectural styles, and serves as a model of ancient architecture along Gai Zhou’s Ming-Qing Historic Street.

In 2012, the Yingkou Municipal People’s Government (Ying Zheng [2012] No. 173) designated the Gai Zhou God of Wealth Temple as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. The cultural relic protection scope and construction control zone announced by the Yingkou Municipal People’s Government (Ying Zheng [2013] No. 185) define the protected area as extending five meters outward from the temple’s surrounding walls. The Category I construction control zone extends west to the ancient city wall, 15 meters east, 15 meters north, and 15 meters south of the protected area.

Source: Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism | Contributor: Dong Wenjie

Dongshi Community: Dongshi Community…… More information about Dongshi Community++