Tang He Temple

Tang He Temple

Tang He Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Tang He Temple is located at the crossroads of Ning Village (also known as "Ningcun Suocheng") in Haibin Subdistrict Office, Longwan District, Wenzhou City. Originally named the Temple of Duke Tang of Eastern Ou and Xiangwu, it was renamed Tang He Temple during the Qing Dynasty and has retained that name to this day. In the seventh year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1528), upon approval from the imperial court, the imperial censor had the temple built to commemorate Tang He’s achievements in constructing the city walls. The construction of Tang He Temple—from the screen wall to the main hall—began in the seventh year of the Jiajing reign (1528). The rear hall was expanded during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1736–1795), and since then, continuous fundraising and maintenance have been carried out up to the present. The temple faces south, with the screen wall situated on the southern side of the road, featuring a large calligraphic character 福 (meaning “blessing”). The main gate is on the northern side of the road, adorned with an intricately carved vertical plaque bearing three golden Chinese characters: 汤和庙 (Tang He Temple). Between the main gate and the second gate lies a courtyard. The second gate consists of three separate entrances—left, middle, and right—all featuring stone bases, red pillars, and red doors. The pillars are hung with wooden plaques inscribed with couplets in black characters on green backgrounds. Above the central gate are two horizontal plaques: one reading “Yongkang Zhaomin” (Everlasting Peace for the People) and the other “Di Yi Gongchen” (The Number One Meritorious Official). Beyond the second gate is another larger courtyard, where the main hall, facing south, houses a colorful wooden sculpted statue of Tang He, protected within a large glass-encased colored wooden shrine. Above it hangs a red plaque with gold characters inscribed with the words “Yinglie Qianqiu” (Heroic Legacy Through the Ages). The roof of the hall features upturned eaves adorned with elaborately carved beams and painted rafters. On the platform in front of the hall are two rows of red wooden racks holding over twenty types of weapons and ceremonial objects inscribed with titles such as “Xinguo Duke.” On the side walls of the hall are hung The Biographies of the National Hero Xinguo Duke (its content is largely consistent with the “Biography of Tang He” in the History of Ming, except that the title “National Hero” has been added before the duke's honorific) and “Autumn Moon and Spring Wind Battle the Ancient City — A Record of the Historical Relics and Cultural Sites of Ningcun Suocheng.” There are eight painted murals on the walls on both sides of the main hall. Directly opposite the main hall, adjacent to the second gate, stands a stage with a detachable floorboard—removed when not in use, but allowing entry through the left and right side gates even when the central gate is closed. The main hall, side rooms, and stage form a unified structure. To the north of the main hall lies the rear hall, which houses colorful clay statues of Tang He and his wife, Lady Hu. The western part of the hall is designed to resemble Tang He’s study, while the eastern part resembles his bedroom. In front of the hall is a square well used for drinking water. On the screen wall behind the rear hall are inscribed two poems: one is a seven-character quatrain composed by Zhang Cong (1475–1539), Chief Cabinet Minister during the Jiajing reign, to mark the completion of the temple: “Iron walls and copper barriers stand firm by the shore, / Glorious through vast lands, the spirit forever shines. / A name of might resounds through endless years, / Autumn moon and spring wind still battle the ancient wall.” The other is a seven-character regulated verse by Qi Jiguang (1528–1587), the hero who fought Japanese pirates. In the 34th year of the Jiajing reign (1555), Qi passed through Ningcun Suocheng on his way to fight pirates in Zhejiang and visited Tang He Temple, leaving behind this poem: “Where to find the shrine of the Xinguo Duke? / In Ning Village’s walls where cypresses stand thick. / Years of rain bring back the light of day, / A single sword’s chill shakes heaven and earth. / Braving life and death, he showed true loyalty, / Enduring wind and snow, he moved the people’s hearts. / With long cords of resolve he served the state, / His name shines bright in history, through ages remembered.”

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province