Shouyang Tongtian Goddess of Mercy Temple

Shouyang Tongtian Goddess of Mercy Temple

Shouyang Tongtian Goddess of Mercy Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Fu’an City.

Shouyang Tongtian Goddess of Mercy Temple is located in Shouyang Village, Xiaoyang Town, Fu’an City. Dating back to the 54th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1789), it is classified as an ancient architectural structure.

It is situated by the stream at the entrance of Shangcun Palace Gate in Shouyang Village, Xiaoyang Town, Fu’an City. Built in 1789 and facing south, it is a timber-and-earth structure in a covered corridor courtyard style, with a total width of 23 meters and a depth of 35.56 meters, covering a total area of 818 square meters. The temple consists of a gate tower with the Prince Pavilion and the main hall. The main hall is five bays wide and five pillars deep, featuring a front corridor with a flush gable roof. The ceiling of the central bay in the front corridor has a caisson ceiling with four corners, where the base to the bottom of the caisson extends through five layers of bracket sets, covering an area of approximately 22.3 square meters. Inside the hall, beneath the flush gable roof of the corridor, there is a very unique horizontal beam inscribed with the year 1789 (the 54th year of Qianlong). The shrine canopy is a flat ceiling. The temple enshrines the three goddesses Chen, Lin, and Li. Architectural structures of temples from the mid-Qing Dynasty are quite rare and becoming increasingly scarce, so documenting and preserving this one holds significant importance. It is of great value for the study of Qing Dynasty construction techniques as well as social, religious, and humanistic aspects.

On February 20, 2013, the Fu’an Municipal People’s Government announced it as part of the fifth batch of municipal-level cultural relic protection units.

Protected area: An extension of 5 meters beyond the surrounding walls of the building.

Shouyang Village: Shouyang Village has a total population of 1,372, comprising 11 villager groups, and includes natural villages such as Shouyang, Suoquan, and Shoujian. The village currently has 0.08 million mu of arable land, 0.95 million mu of orchards, and 1.56 million mu of forest land. Major cash crops include new varieties of Oolong tea such as Golden Guanyin and Tieguanyin, Fuyun green tea, and Prince Ginseng. In 2011, the total village economic income was 16.5 million yuan, with an average per capita income of 7,200 yuan for farmers. The area is home to two facilities: the Fu’an Suoquan Oolong Tea Farm and the Fujian Southern Best Ecological Tea Base. Shouyang Village is a key demonstration site for socialist new rural construction at the Fu’an municipal level... More detailed information about Shouyang Village++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Fu’an City