Twin Branch Temple

Twin Branch Temple

Twin Branch Temple is located in Qingtan Village, Shenzhen, in the Goubei Mountain area, about 20.7 kilometers from the county seat. The temple sits approximately 400 meters east of the village beside a stream. To the north, the clear stream and a double-arch bridge complement the temple beautifully.

Originally named Lingyin, Twin Branch Temple was a shared worship site for the Zhang, Zhu, and Kong families from six natural villages including Qingtan. It served as the local guardian temple for Li’ao. Its exact founding date is unknown. Records indicate that the Zhang family settled here during the Song Dynasty’s Yongxi era (984–987), the Zhu family in the late Southern Song Dynasty, and the Kong family in the Ming Dynasty. Over time, the temple experienced cycles of prosperity and decline before being renamed “Twin Branch Temple.” In 1933, during the Republic of China era, the three families jointly funded its reconstruction, making it the grandest temple north of Ninghai County. During the Cultural Revolution, it was occupied by a rubber factory and its stage was destroyed. The factory relocated in 1985. In recent years, community fundraising has supported the restoration of the stage and other structures, which have been freshly painted.

The temple faces north and is laid out along a central axis that includes: the ceremonial gate, courtyard, stage, and main hall. The total construction area is 804 square meters.

The ceremonial gate has seven bays across two sections, spanning a total width of 25.2 meters and depth of 12 meters, with three doorways. The column-top brackets and intermediate brackets each feature seven-tiered designs with round guard blocks, and at the center, each set is adorned with ruyi-style flower brackets. These combine with diagonal brackets on either side, above which are placed seat brackets—three tiers in total—to form a network of arches that support the central and eave-supporting beams. The eave corridor uses moon beams, and the gate is painted with door gods. The couplet reads: “Engaging in myriad affairs, does burning incense in the temple bring benefit? With a clear conscience, what harm is there in not bowing to the deity?” The window lattice is carved with the words “Guardian of the Township.” The stage features a hip-and-gable roof, an exceptionally large caisson ceiling constructed with spiral layers resembling cow hair texture, and a central mirror engraved with a qilin (Chinese unicorn). Each intermediate bracket set uses four tiers of construction, spanning seven tiers, with maple brackets, and protective brackets between bays. The corner brackets feature overlapping angle and secondary horns, totaling ten tiers, with flanking pendant columns, low railings encircling the stage, and a grid pattern of square openings inlaid with circular panels—one character per panel reading, from front to back: “Jia,” “Yu,” “Gu,” “Se”; the east side: “Chui,” “Sheng”; the west side: “Qiao,” “Jin.” The carved panels depict scenes such as “Two Tigers Fighting,” “A Boy Kicking a Ball,” “Two Fish Playing in Water,” “Two Deer Meeting Spring,” “Two Horses Rearing,” “Two Dogs of Prosperity,” “A Boy Striking a Brick,” and “Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity, and Happiness.” The column couplets include: “A single melody of spring awakens dreams of past and present; two troupes portray every facet of loyalty and treachery,” and “A moment worth a thousand in gold; three songs that dissolve sorrow through the ages.”

The two side halls are single-eave, hard-roofed two-story buildings, each three bays wide. The second-floor railings on the east and west sides are painted with scenes from Tang Dynasty theatrical plays. The west wing uses large carved panels depicting historical stories, figures, and Tang grass motifs. The column-top corbels are all carved lions hanging downward. The column-top brackets project outward, and the building is divided into upper and lower floors to accommodate different viewing levels for performances.

The main hall spans five bays with a total width of 24 meters and depth of 6.4 meters. The corbels are colorfully painted and gilded with motifs of phoenixes, lions, and dragons. The roof framework uses four large horizontal beams, with all four columns reaching the ground on the central axis and five columns on each of the east and west sides. The materials used are robust, with round cylindrical columns made of tung wood. The floor is divided into three stepped levels—perhaps for viewing the performance or symbolizing “ascending three ranks in a row.” The eave column couplet reads: “Be a good person with an upright heart, peaceful soul, and steady dreams; perform good deeds known by heaven and earth, witnessed by spirits and revered by ghosts.” The central column couplet reads: “The good may not prosper—their ancestors have surplus virtue; the wicked may not perish—their ancestors have residual merit.” The rear palace was demolished when a road was built and no longer exists. In front of the temple, on a large rock in the stream west of the Twin Branch Bridge, the characters “Forbidden Boundary” are carved. Another “Forbidden Boundary” stone can also be found further upstream.

Although Twin Branch Temple was built during the Republican era, its grand scale and exquisite craftsmanship make it a true hall of comprehensive art. Especially notable are the network of arches in the ceremonial gate and the towering, resplendent eave corridor with its ornate wooden carvings—all surpassing those of other temples in the region.