Gucheng Palace

Gucheng Palace

Gucheng Palace is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

Gucheng Palace is located in Shuinan Village, Huangshi Town, Licheng District, and is also known as the Ancestral Temple of Gucheng. The ancient Gucheng Temple was first built during the Northern Song Dynasty, originally situated at Meiyin Rock among the Three Secluded Rocks (Pine, Bamboo, and Plum) on Gucheng Mountain (commonly called Qingshan). It was destroyed during the Wokou (Japanese pirate) raids in the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. In the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, Lin Zhi, a local scholar who had attained the rank of Jinshi, was awarded the title of Zizheng Dafu and was appointed by imperial decree as the Governor-General of Guangxi and other regions, overseeing military and political affairs, and holding the additional honorary rank of Zhengpinfu. He donated funds and land to rebuild the temple at its current location (Heling). The palace faces west and has a main structure in three sections, with corridor rooms along the outer edges to the north and south. The central axis consists of the Horse-Stopping Pavilion, the Mountain Gate, the Main Hall, and the Rear Hall, arranged in sequence. The Horse-Stopping Pavilion is three bays wide and one bay deep; the Mountain Gate is three bays wide and two bays deep. The Horse-Stopping Pavilion and the Mountain Gate share the same width and are connected front to back, featuring a mixed post-and-lintel and Dougong (bracketing) structural style. Both buildings share a single roof in the hip-and-gable style. The Main Hall is five bays wide and five bays deep, with a mixed post-and-lintel and Dougong structure, and a single hip-and-gable roof. The Rear Hall is also five bays wide and five bays deep, with a mixed post-and-lintel and Dougong structure, and a single hanging gable roof. Along the north and south walls of the central axis’s main building complex, there are long corridors that connect directly to the corridor rooms. Originally, the southern part of the complex housed the Guanyin Hall, and the northern part had the Earth God Hall. The interior structures of both halls feature beams directly installed on rammed earth walls, with both roof width and depth being covered by a single hanging gable roof. Existing cultural relics include a Ming Dynasty stone-carved statue of Guanyin and several stone steles from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Among them, the important “Qingshan Tree Felling Prohibition Stele,” erected in the 13th year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, is one of the earlier stone inscriptions aimed at ecological protection. Gucheng Palace was designated as a Fujian Provincial Cultural Heritage Site in 2009.

Shuinan Village: Located within the town area of Huangshi Town, Licheng District, Shuinan Village is 300 meters from the Huangshi Town government office. It serves as the transportation, trade, cultural, and entertainment hub of Huangshi Town. The village has a total population of 3,793 residents, 863 households, and comprises 8 natural villages and 10 villager groups. The total land area is 1,950 mu, including 80 mu of arable land. The village has an 11-member village committee, 4 hired staff, 140 official Party members, 2 probationary Party members, and 20 Party members with over 40 years of membership. The village’s main sources of income are migrant work and rental properties. In 2010, the village’s total output value reached... More details about Shuinan Village ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites