Xiaodeng Hall of Heroes

Xiaodeng Hall of Heroes

Xiaodeng Hall of Heroes is located in Qianbao Village on Xiaodeng Island, Dadeng Town. It was built during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty and renovated in the late Qing Dynasty. Originally dedicated to the Deity of the Pool King (Chi Wangye), it was later rededicated to the Deity of the Su King (Su Wangye). In the third year of the Tongzhi reign (1864), the imperial court bestowed a giant plaque inscribed with “Benevolence Reaches the Shores” (Ren Zhou Hai Shi) and three bundles of sacred incense. The sacred plaque measures 2.55 meters in length, 1.04 meters in height, and 0.12 meters in thickness, with the largest characters sized 0.38 meters × 0.43 meters. It is surrounded by eighteen carved dragons in relief, giving it a solemn and sacred aura. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was rebuilt in 1999. The hall faces east and covers an area of over 50 square meters. The main hall is a single structure, about 3.5 meters wide and 8.5 meters deep (including the worship pavilion), with a flush gable roof. In front of the hall is a connected square stone-pillared pavilion, with the horizontal beam on the front inscribed with “Hall of Heroes” (Ying Ling Dian) and featuring a rolled shed roof and a flame-shaped ridge. The imperial plaque inscribed with “Benevolence Reaches the Shores” is, as of 2007, the best-preserved Qing Dynasty wooden carving artifact in Xiang’an District.