Lower Tianzi Temple

Lower Tianzi Temple

Lower Tianzi Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

【Lower Tianzi Temple】

Officially named “Tianzi Temple,” it is located halfway up the mountainside of the western end of Tianzi Mountain, at the beacon tower, facing south. The temple was first built in the 24th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1391) and was renovated in the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1878). It covers an area of 140 square meters, and its architectural style and structure are the same as those of Middle Tianzi Temple. The three main halls enshrine deities including not only the King Xiang and his wife but also the Eight Department Kings and General Yang Si, along with memorial tablets for Guanyin, the Patriarch, the Three Officials, the God of Literature Wenchang, the Goddess of Mending the Heavens, Fuxi, and Shennong. The temple gate is also built in the style of a memorial archway, with the three characters “Tianzi Temple” written vertically in the center at the top. The horizontal plaque below has been lost, and the side couplets read: “If you seek the true king, his might guards mountains and rivers; the Son of Heaven embodies virtues that benefit the nation.” These couplets also include the four characters “King Xiang.” In front of the wooden statues of the King Xiang and his wife, a vertical wooden plaque bears the same text. Inside the temple, there is a stone stele from the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign titled “Record of Supplemental Construction and Renovation of Tianzi Temple for Guanyin, the Patriarch, the Three Officials, Wenchang, the Goddess of Mending the Heavens, Fuxi, Shennong, and General Yang Si.”