Shangzhen Temple

Shangzhen Temple

According to folklore, during the late Sui Dynasty, one of the Eight Immortals in Taoism, Iron-Crutch Li, disguised himself as a lame Taoist priest and wandered to Ju’gang, where he built a hut to practice Taoism. After the lame priest attained immortality, the local people built Shangzhen Temple at the site of his hut, located around the intersection of North Street and Vertical Street in Ju’gang Town. In Taoism, those who attain enlightenment are called “Shangzhen” (lit. Supreme Realized Ones), hence the name of the temple. Historical records indicate that Shangzhen Temple in Ju’gang was built during the Ming Dynasty and was renovated during the Xianfeng era (1851–1861) of the Qing Dynasty. The main structures consist of three courtyards: the Mountain Gate, the Zhenwu Hall, and the Jade Emperor Palace. During the Guangxu era (1875–1908) of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Mengxiong, the local magistrate of Ju’gang, along with local gentry, raised funds for another round of renovations, adding a theater stage, ceremonial gate, passageway hall, and side rooms. Later, the Dutian Temple was built east of Shangzhen Temple and integrated with it, forming a layout where the temple and shrine stand side by side. The main hall of Shangzhen Temple houses a dragon plaque inscribed with “Long Live the Current Emperor” and a stone tablet engraved with the characters “Imperial Edict,” which is why it is also known as the “Imperial Palace.” Locals would hold grand ceremonies of homage here during New Year celebrations, national events, and important festivals. On ordinary days, during the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, imperial edicts and teachings were proclaimed here. These activities continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Shangzhen Temple in Ju’gang belonged to the Wudang sect of Taoism before later merging with the Zhengyi sect, sharing the same lineage as the Lingwei Temple in Rugao. As ancient Ju’gang was located at the eastern end of Fuhaizhou, at the confluence of the river and sea, it often experienced strong winds, heavy rains, and tidal surges. Therefore, locals worshipped the Water God Xuanwu, also known as the Dark Heavenly Emperor or the True Martial Emperor, who governs the north and presides over water. The True Martial Emperor is depicted wearing black robes, with disheveled hair, wielding a seven-star green sword, and treading on a turtle and snake—symbols of his power to slay dragons, subdue evil, and control water. For hundreds of years since its establishment, Shangzhen Temple has been widely renowned for its charitable deeds such as distributing medicine, congee, and coffins. The saying “Shangzhen Temple doing good deeds — winning great popular support” originated here and has been passed down through generations. The temple once had nineteen large cooking stoves for boiling congee and steaming food. During natural disasters or times of food scarcity, it provided congee and meals to the poor and disaster victims, offering relief to all beings. The temple also developed more than ten types of medicinal remedies, such as Two Dragons Pill, Four Tigers Decoction, June Powder, Eight Treasures Cake, and Nine-Nine Unity Pill, to heal and save lives. Among them, the formulas for June Powder and Eight Treasures Cake are still passed down among the people. Due to its spacious buildings, after the Xinhai Revolution, the Baojia Bureau, the Lecture Hall, and the Shanshan Daily newspaper office were all once located here. During the Anti-Japanese War, Commander Tao Yong and Political Commissar Ji Luo (Ji Pengfei) of the Third Column of the New Fourth Army ran a military and political school inside the temple to train anti-Japanese officers and cadres.