Kangshan Temple

Kangshan Temple

Kangshan Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Jin'an District.

Kangshan Temple is situated atop Kangshan in the eastern suburbs of Fuzhou. You can get there by walking south along Kangshan Road from Guixiang Street until you reach the top. The existing buildings include a stage, a main hall, and a rear hall. It was originally constructed during the Daoguang period, renovated in the Guangxu period, and the stage was reconstructed in 1941. In 1998, the temple was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Jin'an District, but it is now in a state of severe disrepair.

Kangshan Temple is located in Yisu Li, as recorded in the Kangxi-era Fuzhou Prefecture Annals: The deity enshrined here is named Zhao Shichou, grandson of Zhao Bin, who held the title of Jinzi Guanglu Doctor during the Song Dynasty. He passed away during the Yuan Dynasty's Tai Ding era, and people built the temple to worship him.

The Rongcheng Archaeological Sketch states: The Lingtree Temple of Kangshan, also known as Taishan Temple, is located in Yisu Li. The deity is named Zhao Shichou, grandson of Zhao Bin, who was a Jinzi Guanglu Doctor in the Song Dynasty. He died during the Yuan Dynasty's Tai Ding era, and local residents established the temple to honor him. The area has a notable ancient tree believed to be spiritually powerful, but in recent times, it has been exploited by ritual practitioners who introduced various questionable practices such as "Ox-head" and "Dog-head" vows. As a result, worshippers flocked in, turning the temple into a site of superstitious worship. Although authorities have tried to prohibit these activities, they persist.

The above are records from old local chronicles about Kangshan Temple. According to them, the temple originally enshrined Zhao Shichou, but later became associated with the worship of Dongyue. Other sources better reflect its current state.

Liao Hongquan, Qing Dynasty’s Minister of Works and Chief Compiler of the National History Office, wrote the Preface to the Kangshan Shuai Temple: “To the east of Rongcheng lies Kangshan Temple, where five Shuai (generals) are enshrined: Liu Xi, He Maosen, Wang Chen, Deng Zhixing, and Chen Wanqing. It is said that these five were officials of the Minyue Kingdom during the Han Dynasty. ... The local people, having long benefited from their protection, established a makeshift shrine in the eastern part of the village, emulating the concept of the original Han dynasty temple. ... Since the founding of this dynasty, the temple’s spiritual efficacy has become especially prominent, leading soldiers to build and worship here. During the Xianfeng era, when rebels were causing unrest upstream, the temple repeatedly demonstrated miraculous responses in protecting our troops. Thus, Governors Wang and Qing each donated plaques, and local officials have conducted seasonal sacrifices here.”

This indicates the temple is dedicated to five generals of the Minyue region, and it was rebuilt during the Daoguang era with this dedication in mind. Some therefore conclude that by the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, the Kangshan Lingtree Temple and the Kangshan Shuai Temple had already merged. Today, there are two large banyan trees at the southeast and northwest corners of the temple, both receiving incense offerings—evidence supporting the historical reference to a “spiritual tree.” It is said that the main deity was conferred the title “Yingyi Zhonglie” (Heroic, Resolute, Loyal, and Gallant) during the reign of Emperor Duanzong of Song, and “Huguo Zhenwei” (Protectorate, Vibration, Majesty) during the Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Taizu. Worship has continued through the ages, with figures such as Qi Jiguang, Zuo Zongtang, Sa Zhenbing, and Chen Shaokuan all offering tributes and plaques. As the temple is dedicated to a military deity, military camps were involved in its construction.

The existing temple consists of three parts.

The southern section is the mountain gate stage, rebuilt in 1941. Its facade faces south and features an arched gateway in the style of the Republican era. The interior of the stage retains little of its original appearance.

Behind the stage is the main hall with a flush-gable roof. Stone pillars are abundant, many adorned with carved couplets. The spacing between the pillars is irregular, but the hall can generally be divided into left, center, and right sections—each with left and right wing rooms. The depth includes seven sections, making the scale extremely grand. At the center is a carved dragon stair stone. Each main bay of the hall features viewing frames and lantern beams, and the rear eaves are decorated with pendant flower brackets.

Behind the main hall is the rear hall. It has a flush-gable roof and a horseback-shaped gable wall in the观音兜 (Guanyin hood) style. It is divided into left, center, and right sections, each consisting of a central bay flanked by side rooms. The central roof is higher than those on the sides, forming a layered effect. The three sections are: Linshui Palace, the Five Generals Temple, and the Dongyue Blood Pool Hall. The front eaves have pendant flower brackets, and inside there is a covered turtle-shell coffered ceiling. On the western wall of the hall are three murals of deities and one damaged figure, arranged from south to north: General Deng of the Shuai Mansion (a warrior in armor, holding a golden melon); General Li of the Shuai Mansion (in an immortal youth style, standing on one leg, one hand forming a mudra); a damaged warrior head; and a long-eared, shadowy ghost holding a scroll inscribed with “Reward Good, Punish Evil.” These are said to have been painted by Li Daohuan, a famous artist from Hengjie who also painted murals at the He Shang Rescue Hall and the Fashi Pavilion.

Other deities enshrined here include the King of Kangshan Lingtree, Princess Ouyang, and the Wives of the Five Generals.

Yuefeng Town: Located in the bustling area east of Jinfeng River in Fuzhou’s eastern gate district, Yuefeng Town covers a plain area of 11.3 square kilometers. It administers four administrative villages—Dongmen, Yuefeng, Zhuyu, and Helin—and 13 communities: Dengyun, Sanhua, Jiulongcheng, Dongzhan, Erhua, Wanjia, Xinhua, Puxia, Guixiang, Tatie, Taohuashan, Kangshan, and Guanwei. With a population of nearly 70,000, it is a provincial-level civilized town and one of Fuzhou’s economically strong towns. In 2004, the town achieved a total social output value of 5.1 billion yuan, fiscal revenue of 36.5 million yuan, average village revenue of 12.2 million yuan, and per capita rural income of 7,554 yuan... Yuefeng Town detailed information++