Huangzhou Temple

Huangzhou Temple

Huangzhou Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huangzhou Temple is located on Beiba Old Street in Shangyong Town, where four rivers converge and waterway transportation thrives. The millennia-old town has nurtured a unique culture. During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, merchants from Huangpi and Macheng areas conducted business along the Du River in places such as Zhushan and Tianjiaba for many years. They took a liking to the auspicious land of Tianjiaba Town, settled here, and raised their descendants. To commemorate their ancestors, they pooled funds to build Huangzhou Temple. As the temple also served as a gathering and socializing place for the people from Huangzhou who settled here, it was also called Huangzhou Guild Hall. Originally, Huangzhou Temple had a main hall, side halls, and an opera tower. During the Cultural Revolution, the opera tower was demolished as part of the “Smash the Four Olds” campaign, while the main and side halls were converted into warehouses and residential buildings.

Huangzhou Temple is the best-preserved ancient building in Tianjiaba Town. The main hall is grand and imposing, featuring over 40 beams and pillars of varying sizes—some made of stone, others of wood. The beams are carved with auspicious cloud patterns, and a pair of intricately carved wooden kites with outstretched wings are placed between the pillars. On the roof beams, two mighty deities are depicted carrying the horizontal beams as if ascending steps. The roof ridge is adorned with a relief of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, with a central depiction of a qilin. The roof is flanked by tall horse-head walls that resemble two soaring dragons, adding a mystical aura to the hall.

According to research, Huangzhou Temple once housed numerous stone statues, with stone lions and figures positioned at the entrance. These carvings were exquisitely crafted and lifelike. During the Cultural Revolution’s “Smash the Four Olds” campaign, these statues and lions were buried underground, with some built into wall foundations and covered with soil and houses. In late 2007, construction began on the Panhekou Hydropower Station. The Zhushan County government raised funds to rebuild Huangzhou Guild Hall. Following the principle of restoring the old as it was, a full-scale reconstruction was completed, and cultural relics such as stone lions and statues buried in the riverbed and earth were salvaged. Today, after minor decoration, Huangzhou Guild Hall has become a distinctive Moral Lecture Hall in Shangyong Town. Its main gate features a couplet: “Uphold faith, observe rites, serve the country, honor parents—this builds one’s character; strengthen oneself, cultivate virtue, value frugality, uphold righteousness—this shapes a good person,” reflecting basic civic moral standards and explaining the core values of the “Moral Lecture Hall.” The front hall displays calligraphy, paintings, unusual stones, root carvings, and other artworks created by residents of Shangyong Town and nearby areas. There is also a photo exhibition showcasing the transformation of Shangyong Town, highlighting its past and present, post-resettlement reconstruction, industrial development, and the cultural life of its people.

Beyond the front hall lies a courtyard. To the north of the courtyard is the Shangyong Town Rural Library, and to the south are props used by residents for cultural activities such as lion dancing, dragon rolling, and flower boat performances. The two plaques flanking the entrance of the Moral Lecture Hall classroom are testaments to the long history of Huangzhou Guild Hall. The “Protect the Nation and Bless the People” plaque is a prayer plaque, expressing the hope that deities will bless the nation with peace and protect the people with happiness. Made in the fourth year of the Qing Daoguang reign, the plaque is crafted from pine wood, wrapped in linen, coated repeatedly with tung oil and raw lacquer, inscribed with Zhao-style calligraphy, and edged with gold thread. The entire plaque is rustic and weighty, making it highly valuable. The “Imperial Virtue Beyond Words” plaque is an encomium plaque, made during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty. Also pine-based, it was treated with tung oil, then painted with raw lacquer and dark ink, with the Yan-style inscription in gold lacquer. The plaque is solemn and luxurious, and the inscription “Imperial Virtue Beyond Words” means the emperor’s benevolence surpasses heaven and earth and is beyond description. Behind the courtyard is the classroom of the Moral Lecture Hall, furnished with desks, chairs, a podium, and regulatory signs. It serves as the main venue for Moral Lecture Hall activities in Shangyong Town.

Today, incorporating salvaged relics and the indigenous culture of Shangyong Town, Huangzhou Guild Hall is becoming an excellent destination for visitors from near and far. The ancient temple takes on a new look, and history is being rewritten.