Renji Ancient Temple

Renji Ancient Temple

Renji Ancient Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Between the East Pond and West Pond in Cangpo Village stands Renji Temple, originally built in the 14th year of the Chunxi era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1187 AD) by the 10th-generation ancestor Bojun Gong. The temple has now been converted into the Cangpo Folk Museum.

Legend has it that during the Yongkang period of the Western Jin Dynasty, the southern Zhejiang region suffered from devastating floods. A man named Zhou Kai died while battling the floodwaters to save the people and was revered as the “Water-Control King.” The ancient temple was designed according to the “front hall, back market” concept from the Rites of Zhou, featuring a courtyard-style layout with both the gatehouse and main hall consisting of five bays.

The temple is surrounded by water on three sides, with a central courtyard designed as a “water patio,” reflecting the feng shui principle of using water to counteract fire. In front of the temple stand three cypress trees, each as thick as three people could hug, which have stood for over 800 years.

At the northern end of the East Pond lies the Shuiyue Hall, surrounded by water on all sides, with floral-patterned walls allowing filtered views, exuding an elegant and rustic charm. At the southern end of the hall is a small courtyard with a miniature pond, like a mirror inlaid in the earth, reflecting the sun and moon. The Shuiyue Hall was built during the Xuanhe era of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (1119–1125) by the 8th-generation ancestor Li Xiaye in memory of his younger brother Li Jinxie, who sacrificed his life for the nation.

To get from Yantou to Cangpo, you can take a minibus heading toward Yantan, Zhangxi, Hesheng, or Lingtou, and get off at the Cangpo Village intersection. Then walk for 10 minutes into the village, or take a local farm tricycle (1 yuan per person) to get there.