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Temple of Exalted Sages

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The Temple of Exalted Sages is located on the northern peak of Gushan Mountain, about 3.5 kilometers east of Changle City, and is commonly known as Gushan Temple. The exact date of its original construction is unknown. The main hall to the north spans three bays, with a stone foundation over ten feet high on the north side. The hall itself stands roughly twenty feet tall and features a two-story structure made of brick, stone, and wood. The upper floor houses the Wenchang Pavilion, which contains statues of Bo Yi and Shu Qi. In the northeast corner of the pavilion, a wooden staircase connects to the lower level. The lower level enshrines a statue of Gushan Ye holding a tablet and seated solemnly. To the west of the main hall lies an auxiliary hall with three rooms, housing several clay and wood carvings of deities. The entire complex is enclosed by blue brick walls, with the main gate facing south. Inside the courtyard, there is a square-shaped pond and over a dozen sturdy pine trees. After the liberation, the temple suffered damage during the “Great Leap Forward” and the Cultural Revolution, leaving only the remnants of the northern stone foundation, fragments of the “Imperial Decree Enfeoffing Guangling Marquis Stele,” and one “Temple of Exalted Sages Poem” stele. The poem stele was inscribed by Zhao Heling, Vice Commissioner of the Provincial Surveillance Commission of Shandong, two days after the beginning of spring in 1490 (the 33rd year of the Hongzhi reign in the Ming Dynasty). The poem reads: “For their words and deeds shaped the moral order of the world, / Their spirits are still honored on Gushan to this day. / They remonstrated with King Zhou and starved by the roadside, / They relinquished the throne and vanished, never to return. / Their great virtue embodied both benevolence and righteousness, / Their integrity strengthened the weak and shamed the corrupt. / This shrine is not just for seasonal worship, / Their timeless fame echoes forever through the universe.” The poem praises the humility, selflessness, and noble character of Bo Yi and Shu Qi in yielding the throne and renouncing fame and wealth. During the Qing Dynasty, the temple saw bustling worship activities on the first day of the sixth lunar month. In the early years of the Republic of China, worshippers from four counties numbered in the thousands.

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The Temple of Exalted Sages is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Temple of Exalted Sages is located on the northern peak of Gushan Mountain, about 3.5 kilometers east of Changle City, and is commonly known as Gushan Temple. The exact date of its original construction is unknown. The main hall to the north spans three bays, with a stone foundation over ten feet high on the north side. The hall itself stands roughly twenty feet tall and features a two-story structure made of brick, stone, and wood. The upper floor houses the Wenchang Pavilion, which contains statues of Bo Yi and Shu Qi. In the northeast corner of the pavilion, a wooden staircase connects to the lower level. The lower level enshrines a statue of Gushan Ye holding a tablet and seated solemnly. To the west of the main hall lies an auxiliary hall with three rooms, housing several clay and wood carvings of deities. The entire complex is enclosed by blue brick walls, with the main gate facing south. Inside the courtyard, there is a square-shaped pond and over a dozen sturdy pine trees. After the liberation, the temple suffered damage during the “Great Leap Forward” and the Cultural Revolution, leaving only the remnants of the northern stone foundation, fragments of the “Imperial Decree Enfeoffing Guangling Marquis Stele,” and one “Temple of Exalted Sages Poem” stele. The poem stele was inscribed by Zhao Heling, Vice Commissioner of the Provincial Surveillance Commission of Shandong, two days after the beginning of spring in 1490 (the 33rd year of the Hongzhi reign in the Ming Dynasty). The poem reads: “For their words and deeds shaped the moral order of the world, / Their spirits are still honored on Gushan to this day. / They remonstrated with King Zhou and starved by the roadside, / They relinquished the throne and vanished, never to return. / Their great virtue embodied both benevolence and righteousness, / Their integrity strengthened the weak and shamed the corrupt. / This shrine is not just for seasonal worship, / Their timeless fame echoes forever through the universe.” The poem praises the humility, selflessness, and noble character of Bo Yi and Shu Qi in yielding the throne and renouncing fame and wealth. During the Qing Dynasty, the temple saw bustling worship activities on the first day of the sixth lunar month. In the early years of the Republic of China, worshippers from four counties numbered in the thousands.