Temple of Ni Heng Park

Temple of Ni Heng Park

Temple of Ni Heng Park is located in Deping Town, Linyi County, with an investment of over 3 million yuan and covering an area of more than 10,000 square meters. Attractions in the park include the Temple of Ni Heng Memorial Hall, Ni Heng Well, Statue of Ni Heng, and Panhu Lake. The Ni Heng Memorial Hall is situated at the center of the park. It is a five-bay, nine-ridge, broken-ridge-style building modeled after Ming Dynasty architecture, majestic and elegant in its classic simplicity. The surrounding walls display Ni Heng’s enduring literary works including “The Parrot Fu,” “Stone Tablet of Master Lu,” “Stone Tablet of Yanzi,” and “Elegy for Jia Yi,” as well as poems and verses by later generations commemorating and reflecting on Ni Heng. The statue of Ni Heng is placed inside the memorial hall — he stands with unbending integrity yet refined grace, wild and unrestrained yet dignified, simple and unadorned yet full of heroic spirit. Illustrations and textual descriptions of Ni Heng’s life are also displayed in the courtyard.

Ni Heng Well is located in the southeast corner of the park. It was the well used by Ni Heng for daily water needs during his time. The well is 7 meters deep, with clear and sweet water, and has a history of over 1,800 years. The lower one meter of the well shaft still consists of the original Han Dynasty bricks. In 1933, Dai Zhangmin, the then magistrate of Deping County, erected a stone stele beside the well. The stele is two meters tall, with the four large characters “Hometown of Ni Heng” engraved on the front. On February 25, 2006, the well underwent desilting work. When digging reached two meters, spring water gushed out from the well just as dark clouds gathered and a sudden snowfall began — a natural spectacle where earth and sky seemed to respond in harmony, embodying the mystical aura of this ancient well that has lasted a millennium. Panhu Lake is located to the west of the park. Its name originates from Guo Chen, a renowned poet, calligrapher, and painter of the Ming Dynasty famous for works such as “Grass Script Style Discrimination” and “Thousand Character Classic in Four Scripts.” Guo Chen (1488–1578), who styled himself “Hermit of Panhu,” is honored by naming the lake “Panhu Lake” in memory of this master of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. On July 7, 2006, while the lake was under excavation, as soon as shovels struck water at the lakebed, a sudden downpour ensued, as if the Milky Way had poured from the heavens, filling Panhu with heavenly rain. Perhaps it was just a magical coincidence, but it added endless wonder to people’s imaginations...

Source: Linyi County Chronicles Office