The Three Sages Memorial Temple in Dangkou

The Three Sages Memorial Temple in Dangkou

The Three Sages Memorial Temple in Dangkou is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

The Three Sages Memorial Temple is located by Nanxin Bridge in Ehu Town. It was first built in the 36th year of the Jiajing reign (1557) by Hua Cha, a Hanlin Academician Reader during the Ming Dynasty, to commemorate the merits and virtues of three local officials—Sun Shen, the Inspector of Suzhou and Songjiang; Weng Dalì, the Right Assistant Regional Commissioner of Suzhou and Songjiang and Shandong Bureau of Civil Administration; and Wang Qiqin, the Magistrate of Wuxi—who surveyed land, clarified tax records, and benefited the region. The temple covers a land area of 252 square meters and has a built-up area of 108 square meters. Within the temple complex are the Sīquán Pavilion (Thought Spring Pavilion), Xuěhǎi Academy (Study Sea Academy), Wàngyuè Tower (Moon-Gazing Tower), Yī’ài Hall (Hall of Cherished Love), Zhìzhāi Room (Room of Fasting), and Yǎnqìng Taoist Temple (Taoist Temple of Extended Celebration). The Sīquán Pavilion features a pointed conical roof covered with cylindrical tiles, supported by four rounded square pillars. Inside the pavilion is an ancient well known as the Sīquán Well. A stone stele inscribed with the “Record of the Sīquán Pavilion” is embedded in the wall nearby. The main hall of the temple is a single-entry structure with three rooms and seven bays, flanked by eight stone tablets engraved with writings by prominent figures such as Wang Shizhen, a Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, and Gu Gao, a top imperial scholar of the Qing Dynasty. On the west side of the courtyard, a Bu Gong Stone (Land Surveying Stone) is embedded in the wall. The “Bu Gong” (a traditional Chinese land measurement tool shaped like a compass) is carved on three stacked yellow stone slabs, resembling a modern compass. Its two legs are 92 cm in total height, 53.5 cm in shoulder width, 107 cm in leg length, and spaced 171 cm apart. This rare, nationally significant artifact served as the standard tool for land surveying in its time and holds high cultural heritage value. In 2006, the Three Sages Memorial Temple was listed as a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units