Gutian Lingshui Palace

Gutian Lingshui Palace

Gutian Lingshui Palace is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Ming to Qing Dynasty

Address: Zhongcun Village, Daqiao Town, Gutian County, Ningde City, Fujian Province, 39 kilometers from the county seat.

Lingshui Palace is an exquisitely styled Tang Dynasty-style palace building. Originally constructed in the eighth year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (AD 792), it has undergone renovations and expansions during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, boasting a history of over 1,200 years. It is the ancestral temple for all Lingshui Palaces across the world and has been designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People’s Government of Fujian Province, and is now listed as a National-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The palace is dedicated to Chen Jinggu, the Taoist goddess widely revered both domestically and internationally as the “Holy Mother Who Obeys Heaven,” also known as “Shuntian Shengmu.”

Built against the mountain, Lingshui Palace features red walls and green tiles, with its irregular layout exuding grandeur. It stands majestically against the backdrop of rolling mountains. Covering an area of over 2,000 square meters, the structure is made of wood and earth. The main gate is inscribed with a plaque that reads “Imperially Bestowed Lingshui Palace.” The gables are adorned with bas-reliefs such as “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl” and “Tiger Cub Tasting Spring.” The palace is divided into four sections: front, rear, left, and right. The front hall has two layers of ceremonial gates on its southern wall, leading through several steps to the main courtyard. The courtyard houses an ancient opera stage, bell and drum towers, a worship pavilion, and the main hall. Elaborately carved pillars, beams, painted rafters, and bracket arms rise gracefully, forming various caisson ceilings of different sizes. In the center of the main hall is enshrined a statue believed to be sculpted from the true body of Chen Jinggu. The left hall is the Hall of the Grand Protector, while the right hall houses statues of the Thirty-Six Goddess Aunts. The rear hall consists of the Hall of Lady Ge, Mother of Chen, a dressing tower, and the Three Pure Ones Hall. Surrounding Lingshui Palace are more than ten historical sites related to the life of Chen Jinggu, including the Hundred Flowers Bridge, Dressing Bridge, Shuntian Prefecture Hall, and Lady’s Pool, making it a popular destination for those interested in history and sightseeing. In recent years, scholars, experts, and tourists from countries and regions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, as well as from within China, have visited Lingshui Palace for research and tourism.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units