Nanshan Palace

Nanshan Palace

Nanshan Palace is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Nanshan Palace is located on the mountainside of Nanshan in Liangcun Township, Hua’an County, Fujian Province, 13 kilometers from the county seat.

The palace faces east and overlooks Bijia Mountain, situated at an altitude of 300 meters, covering an area of over 2,000 square meters. It was first built in the first year of the Deyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1275) and rebuilt in the sixth year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1441). Chen Tianding, an official of the Ming Dynasty, once lived here for two years and personally inscribed the plaque “Virtue Flourishes at the Dawn of Heaven.” Nanshan Palace enshrines the deities Holy Ancestor Immortal (Immortal Mother) and Commander Attendant, along with 36 divination poems believed to have been composed by Chen Tianding.

Nanshan Palace is a Taoist temple, built in the style of the Imperial Hall of Supreme Harmony, using brick and wood structures. The foundation of the temple is nearly square, with corridors surrounding all sides. The interior is also square, featuring painted ceilings, and in the center is a conical, spiral caisson ceiling with 99 brackets, topped with the Bagua Taiji diagram symbolizing the round sky and square earth. The hall has four red-lacquered diamond-shaped wooden pillars adorned with paintings of dragons and the Eight Immortals, and both the interior and exterior wooden walls are painted with vivid murals. The wooden components, such as beams and rafters, are simple yet dignified, while decorative elements are minimalistic and bright. The roof is adorned with carvings of birds, beasts, flowers, trees, human figures, and stories, with multiple eaves and upturned corners. The current architectural style of Nanshan Palace largely reflects the Ming and Qing dynasties, except for the four red pillars and their bases, which are identified as relics from the Song Dynasty due to their distinct craftsmanship.

Thirteen rectangular centipede flags are still preserved at Nanshan Palace. Commonly known as large flags, they are named for their resemblance to centipedes. Additionally, there are two palanquins, rumored to have been decorated with 48 taels of powdered gold each. Both the centipede flags and palanquins feature ingenious designs, exquisite craftsmanship, and are resplendent with gold and splendor, making them precious cultural relics of Hua’an.

The carvings, paintings, and murals inside the palace boast rich themes and are well-preserved. The overall architectural artistry is exquisite, with deep traditional cultural significance, offering high historical, artistic, and scientific value. Among them, the palanquins and centipede flags preserved in the palace are considered masterpieces of folk art.

In 2006, Nanshan Palace was approved by the State Council as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, recognized as a historic building from the Ming and Qing periods.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units