Zhenxian Shrine

Zhenxian Shrine

The Zhenxian Shrine is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Zhenxian Shrine has a history of over 1,200 years and is an ancient temple in the historic city of Sihui. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times throughout the dynasties. The current Zhenxian Shrine was reconstructed in 1982 with funding donated by Mr. Su Donglin, a fellow townsman of Sihui residing in Hong Kong. In the early days of the shrine’s construction, there were two pairs of couplets that are still preserved at the entrance and inside the shrine today: “The virtuous aura lingers among bamboo and cypress; the immortal spirit enlivens fish and snails,” and “Spinning flax in those years, a heart as pure as ice untouched by dust; fish and snails passed down through the ages, the deep pool’s reflection as clear as the moon.” In the mountain stream of Zhenshan, there is a type of fish called “pan-fried crucian carp,” which is browned on one side while the other side remains the usual color of a carp—commonly referred to as “pan-fried crucian carp.” There is also a kind of stone snail that is tail-less, commonly known as “tail-less immortal snail.” Legend has it that after the virtuous maiden hid in the deep mountains, she never forgot the hard life of the village children who herded, fished, and gathered snails, and often returned to fry fish and cook snails to feed them. One day, a group of spoiled young men attempted to assault them in the mountains. The virtuous maiden kicked the prepared tail-less snails, ready to be stir-fried, and the half-fried crucian carp into the mountain stream, and rebuked them righteously: “I would rather die than submit—do not think of humiliating me!” She then climbed up the cliff by the pool and leapt into the deep water. Just as the villagers were about to retrieve the body of Wen Gu (the maiden), suddenly celestial music filled the air, and a group of fairies descended on colorful clouds, lifting Wen Gu before floating away westward. Since then, the mountain stream at the foot of Zhenshan has been home to tender and delicious “tail-less immortal snails” and uniquely patterned “pan-fried crucian carp” with half a brown side, providing local people with a delicious food source.

Today, there are still many relics of Zhenxian within the Zhenshan scenic area. One of them is called Huixian Pavilion, built against the mountain with six pillars and a hexagonal shape, constructed from tuff stone. It features stone tables and benches inside, with surrounding backrests serving as railings—a novel and unique design. Surrounded by green mountains, clear waters, refreshing mountain breezes, and murmuring streams, being there brings a sense of peace and joy. Legend has it that one day, when Wen Zhenxian and the immortal He Xiangu met here, a sudden heavy rain poured down, drenching the two girls who were picking herbs like drowned rats. So, Wen Zhenxian transformed into a village girl and led them to a pavilion to take shelter from the storm. In an instant, the rain stopped, the pavilion disappeared, and the village girl vanished. The villagers knew that Zhenxian had manifested her presence. Later, they built this pavilion at that very spot based on the description given by the herb-picking girls and named it Huixian Pavilion (Pavilion of Immortal Meeting).

Zhenxian enjoys high fame across the Pearl River Delta region. For over a thousand years, the Zhenxian Shrine has seen morning incense and evening lamps, uninterrupted through the seasons, attracting numerous devout worshippers. In the early years of the Guangxu Emperor during the Qing Dynasty, Wen Zhenxian was conferred the honorary title of “Huize” (Beneficent Grace) by imperial decree. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Kang Youwei, a leader of the Reform Movement of 1898, was drawn by the fame of Sihui’s oranges. In early December 1893, he visited Sihui’s Xisha area (now near Zhenshan) with several disciples of Liang Qichao, arriving by ferry from Guangzhou to taste the oranges. After sampling the fruit, Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and others proceeded to Zhenshan to pay homage at the Zhenxian Shrine. Perhaps blessed by the immortal, the following year Kang Youwei passed the provincial imperial examination. In 1895, he went to the capital to take the metropolitan examination and was ranked among the second-class successful candidates, later becoming a key figure in launching the Hundred Days' Reform, thus influencing modern Chinese history. Since then, during imperial examinations and metropolitan tests held along the Xijiang River, large numbers of scholars came to the Zhenxian Shrine to offer incense and pray for blessings to achieve academic success or high scores.