Yue’e King Temple

Yue’e King Temple

Yue’e King Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Yinzhou District.

Yue’e King Temple was built by the local people of Dongqian Lake to commemorate Yue Fei and his son. The temple was first constructed during the Duanping era of the Southern Song Dynasty, boasting a history of over 750 years. The current Yuewang Temple was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty and is a well-preserved example of traditional Jiangnan temple architecture. The central axis of the building consists of three sections: the front gate hall, the central hall, and the rear hall. All the stone couplets and hanging ornaments here are original Qing Dynasty artifacts, among which the four characters “Zan Xiang Qin Hua” (Praising Diligent Transformation) were written by Jin Nong, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.

To the southeast of Mozhi Weir, floating on the surface of Dongqian Lake, there is a small island shaped like a watermelon called Guayu Islet. On Guayu Islet stands an ancient temple surrounded by greenery and framed by red walls, known as Watermelon Temple. The main deity enshrined in Watermelon Temple is majestic and awe-inspiring, embodying the heroic spirit of the national hero Yue Fei.

Legend has it that after the unjust deaths of Yue Fei and his son, their spirits manifested as two watermelons—one drifting on West Lake and the other growing in Dongqian Lake, Yinxian County. Upon learning this, Shi Hao, the prime minister of the time, reported it to the emperor and petitioned for Yue Fei’s posthumous rehabilitation. After the rehabilitation, the two watermelons turned into two earthen mounds. The people of Hangzhou built Yuewang Temple on the mound in West Lake to commemorate Yue Fei, while the people of Yinxian County built Ewang Temple on the mound in Dongqian Lake to honor him.

The temple was first constructed during the Duanping era of the Southern Song Dynasty, boasting a history of over 750 years. The current Yuewang Temple was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty and is a well-preserved example of traditional Jiangnan temple architecture. The central axis of the building consists of three sections: the front gate hall, the central hall, and the rear hall. All the stone couplets and hanging ornaments here are original Qing Dynasty artifacts, among which the four characters “Zan Xiang Qin Hua” (Praising Diligent Transformation) were written by Jin Nong, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. The current Yue’e King Temple scenic area also includes the Lakeside Park and Wang Anshi Park.

Utilizing its lakeside location and convenient transportation, the scenic area has developed a lakeside barbecue base and introduced a range of new barbecue equipment, attracting a large number of visitors.

This scenic area has been an open park since July 2007, with free admission.

Transportation: Take bus No. 901 (toward Lakeside Scenic Area) or No. 906 and get off at the Yuewang Temple stop.