Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County

Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County

The Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County, is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County, was originally located east of the county yamen’s drum tower. It has now been relocated to the southern foot of Fengguan Mountain at Dashian Bay, north of the sports field of Anxi No. 1 Middle School, where it enshrines Zhan Dunren, the pioneer magistrate of Anxi.

Zhan Dunren (914–979), styled Junze and also known as Qingyin, served as the pioneer magistrate of KaiXian County and was posthumously honored as Marquis Jinghui. His ancestral home was in Gushi, Guangzhou, Henan. His grandfather, Zhan Zuan, followed Wang Shenzhi into Fujian and later retired to the foot of Zhide Mountain in Xianyou County. From a young age, Zhan Dunren received a strict family education, was diligent in his studies, and excelled especially in poetry, earning recognition as one of the “Three Wonders of Central Fujian.” In his youth, he once persuaded King Wang Chang of Min to send tribute to the imperial court, and his literary talent won Wang Chang’s admiration. Wang Chang invited him to participate in military decision-making, but Zhan Dunren, despising Wang Chang for killing his father to usurp the throne, firmly declined and wrote the poem “Advising the Wang Clan to Send Tribute, and Refusing the Offer of an Official Post,” to declare his principles. In the 13th year of the Baoda era of the Southern Tang (945), Liu Congxiao became the Jiedushi of Qingyuan Army and took charge of Quanzhou, inviting Zhan Dunren to serve as an official. Though Zhan initially declined, he eventually accepted the position of supervisor at Xiaoxi Field. Upon taking office, he observed the region’s majestic landscapes and dense population, and submitted a memorial stating that “the land is fertile and the people many; boats can navigate the waters. If adjacent territories are included, this place can be established as a county.” His proposal was approved. In the second year of the Xiande era of the Later Zhou (955), Zhan Dunren was appointed as the first magistrate of Qingxi (now known as Anxi) County.

Zhan Dunren admired the beautiful scenery of the Xiaoxi Field site, described as “three peaks standing like jade, a river encircling in loops, the Yellow Dragon looking inward as if ready to leap, and the Red Phoenix soaring behind,” and chose it as the location for the county seat. After serving for just over a year, Zhan Dunren recommended Wang Zhidao to succeed him as magistrate. After stepping down, he fell in love with the steep, serene, and remote Fuer Mountain in western Anxi, selected a site there, and built “Qingyin Hall” to reside in. He authored the Qingyin Hall Collection. In the fourth year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Song Dynasty (979), Zhan Dunren passed away. The populace, remembering his contributions to national unification, establishing the county for the people, maintaining integrity and honesty, and governing diligently and loving the people, established temples in his honor both at the county seat and at his retreat in Chongxinli, Duoqing Township (now Meixi Village, Xianghua Township). In the fourth year of the Xianchun era (1268), the imperial court conferred the temple name “Linghui” on the shrine at his retreat. In the eighth year (1272), Zhan Dunren was posthumously honored as Marquis Jinghui, his son Zhan Bei as Marquis Jingzhen—known historically as the “Father and Son Ennobled as Marquises.”

The original county seat temple to Magistrate Zhan was situated east of the yamen hall. Later, the populace petitioned for its relocation due to the inconvenience of having to enter the yamen for seasonal worship, and after approval from the county authorities, the temple was rebuilt east of the boundary of the yamen hall and named “Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of Qingxi County.” Over the dynasties, the temple was once moved to the City God Temple and then returned to the east side of the drum tower inside the front gate of the yamen. In the second year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1437), Magistrate Pan Zheng renovated it. In the ninth year of the Jiajing era (1530), Magistrate Huang Yi initiated formal worship ceremonies. In the 17th year of the Jiajing era (1639), Zhan Yuan, a descendant of Zhan Dunren and Vice Commissioner of Yunnan Circuit, funded the reconstruction with private wealth, with the help of Magistrate Yin Mu and Constable Zou Qi. On this, Instructor Guan Wenming provided a detailed account in his “Record of the Reconstruction of the Anxi Zhan Magistrate Temple,” noting the timing, reasons, and layout of the reconstruction. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1619), under the direction of Zhan Yangbi, Minister of the Ministry of Justice, the temple was renovated again, and Minister of Rites Huang Fengxiang wrote the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Anxi Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County.” In the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941), Chen Xiuxiang, director of the Anxi County Police Bureau, attempted to forcibly demolish the temple to build a police station, but it was preserved thanks to persistent appeals from the local people. After the founding of the People’s Republic, the temple was demolished and replaced with a bank. At the request of Zhan clan members at home and abroad, the Anxi County People’s Government, in reverence of the former magistrate’s virtuous governance and service to the people, officially approved in May 1998 the relocation and reconstruction of the temple at its current site.

The new temple is also called the “Zhan Dunren Memorial Museum for the Pioneer Magistrate of KaiXian County.” Fundraising began in May 1998 with the establishment of a preparatory committee, and construction started on July 31, 1999, with funding raised through the efforts of Zhan clan members at home and abroad. Taiwanese compatriot Zhan Jide not only donated generously but also contributed his architectural expertise, pouring much effort into the new temple’s construction. The project completed its main structure in August 2003 and its supporting facilities in August 2004. The building features a palatial style, facing southeast (aligned toward Xun and Xun with a secondary orientation toward Hai and Si), covering an area of 5,620 square meters with a floor space of 1,649.80 square meters, making it a grand sight. With glazed roofs, double eaves and flying rafters, golden tubes and colorful paintings, massive pillars and brackets, it is resplendent and magnificent. Its carved dragons and phoenixes display exquisite craftsmanship, rivaling nature’s artistry, and hold high artistic and aesthetic value. Six-sided pavilions stand on both the eastern and western sides of the main hall, while two “black-pillared columns” stand below the main hall, accompanied by management offices, parking lots, walls, and a gatehouse among other supporting facilities.

Walking along the paved path toward the hall, you first pass through the mountain gate and then the entrance gate. Strikingly, the gates bear golden inscriptions reading “Anxi Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County,” handwritten by Shen Peng, former Governor of Fujian Province, former Minister of Commerce of China, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Chairman of the China Calligraphers Association. The hall features a lower courtyard, with a four-tiered hexagonal golden pavilion built on the right side, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, exquisitely unique.

The main hall consists of two sections, front and back. The front hall is five bays wide, with three main doors in the center, left, and right. Each door panel is carved from a single piece of rosewood. The central door bears a horizontal plaque inscribed with seven gilded characters: “Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County.”

Stepping through the gate, you’ll find a large stone patio in the front hall, with a grand incense burner and two candle stands on display. The left corridor houses two stone tablets: one inscribed with Zhan Dunren’s “Record of the Founding of Qingxi County in the Five Dynasties” and another with the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Anxi Temple to Magistrate Zhan, the Pioneer of KaiXian County” written over 400 years ago by Huang Fengxiang, Minister of Rites. The corridor walls feature inscriptions detailing “A Brief Account of Zhan Dunren’s Deeds” and “The Historical Evolution of the Pioneer Temple.” The right corridor displays two tablets: “Record of the Reconstruction of the Zhan Dunren Memorial Hall” and “Record of Zhan Jide’s Contributions.” The corridor walls also list the names of donors who contributed to the relocation and reconstruction of the memorial hall.

The main hall is tall and spacious, with the ceilings of the side chambers supported by ruyi-style brackets. The central chamber uses a lotus-pattern bracket system in the roof structure, overlapping vertically and horizontally to form an eight-trigram caisson ceiling, suspended upside down and supported by beams. The shrine is exquisitely carved from rosewood. The central shrine enshrines the spirit tablets of Zhan Dunren and his wife, while the side shrines enshrine the spirit tablets of his parents and children. On the beams above the double-eaved worship pavilion in the main hall hang two gilded plaques carved from whole pieces of rosewood: “Father and Son Ennobled as Marquises” and “Imperial Edict.” The hall’s walls feature eighteen calligraphy screens, with content taken from poems by Zhan Dunren and Zhan Bei, each penned by renowned contemporary Chinese calligraphers in diverse styles, all considered masterpieces.

With Fengshan Mountain embracing beauty and Lanshui River gathering spiritual energy, Dashian Bay heralding auspiciousness, and the fine site accumulating vital force, the Zhan Temple enjoys uniquely superior surroundings, making it another breathtaking new tourist attraction in Anxi.

Zhan Dunren, styled Junze, was born in the fourth year of the Qianhua era of the Later Liang (914). His ancestors were from Gushi, Guangzhou, Henan. His grandfather, Zhan Zuan, followed Wang Shenzhi into Fujian, served as a vanguard officer, and later retired to the foot of Zhide Mountain in Xianyou County. His father, Zhan Shilong, was a clerk in the military department. Dunren received a strict family education from childhood and in his early years submitted a letter advising King Wang Chang of Min to send tribute to the imperial court. His literary talent earned the king’s admiration, who invited him to participate in military affairs. Dunren disdained Wang Chang for usurping the throne by killing his father, firmly declined the offer, and composed a poem titled “Advising the Wang Clan to Send Tribute, and Refusing the Offer of an Official Post,” which reads: “Striving for supremacy and kingship is wholly wrong, the Central Plains have lost unity...” More detailed information about Zhan Dunren ++