Nanshan Temple on Nan’ao Island

Nanshan Temple on Nan’ao Island

Nanshan Temple on Nan’ao Island is a cultural tourism attraction.

Nanshan Temple is a small temple on Nan’ao Island that does not charge for incense. It is located in the alleys of a small village south of the ancient town of Nan’ao Island. The entire temple is grand and solemn, with an exquisitely crafted structure, carved beams and painted rafters, upturned eaves, and colorful glazed tiles. However, Nanshan Temple is not large—once you enter through the main gate, you can see the main hall, which is not the kind of towering Mahavira Hall commonly seen elsewhere. There are not many local worshippers either, and you won’t even see an incense burner or smell the distinctive aroma of incense and candles. But the temple has specially built a wall to commemorate donors who contributed to the temple’s renovation, with each donor’s name engraved on stone tablets, making it an important memorial feature of the temple.

Viewed from Xiongzhen Guang in northern Nan’ao Island, the bright orange glazed tiles stand out vividly amid the greenery of the ancient town’s Shen’ao area—it’s especially striking. That’s the newly reconstructed ancient temple, Nanshan Temple, a county-level cultural relic protection unit. Located south of the ancient town, in the “Solitary Carp Facing the Sun” area, the temple backs onto Golden Mountain, faces Meihua Village, and is surrounded by towering ancient trees, murmuring spring water, sweet well water, and an atmosphere of seclusion and elegance.

The temple was first built in the late Ming Dynasty, expanded from a small Huoshenye (Fire God) shrine. During the Qing Dynasty, a monk in the temple was said to possess extraordinary martial arts skills—he could walk on walls and leap three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high, even sitting cross-legged atop the peak of a sharp rock on Shijing Mountain. He passed on his skills to a wealthy young man from Shen’ao Town, teaching him the “Eight Immortals Drunk” routine before disappearing without a trace.

The ancient temple has experienced both decline and revival. On the third day of the first lunar month in 1918, a major earthquake caused the temple to collapse almost entirely, leaving only the gate tower. Four years after the quake, nuns Shi Xiuchue and Shi Xiejie from Qihayan on the island made a grand vow. Bringing their disciples to the temple and with the support of donations from believers, they spent five years rebuilding the site. By 1927, the front courtyard buildings, the main hall, side chambers, and more were completed, restoring the temple to glory. During the Cultural Revolution, the nuns were driven out and the temple fell into disrepair. After 1978, with the implementation of new policies, the temple regained vitality. Thanks to donations from believers at home and abroad—totaling over 4 million RMB—the Mahavira Hall was rebuilt (foundation laid on December 4, 1994, completed in October 1998), along with the ancestral hall, guest hall, Heavenly King Hall, and Guanyin Pavilion (completed in mid-autumn 1990). Now the temple is grand and solemn, with an exquisitely crafted structure, carved beams and painted rafters, upturned eaves, and colorful glazed tiles.

Nanshan Temple is situated in the “Solitary Carp Facing the Sun” area, backed by Golden Mountain, facing Meihua Village, surrounded by towering ancient trees, murmuring springs, and an atmosphere of serenity and elegance.

Address: Nan’ao Island, Nan’ao County, Shantou City

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours