Site of the Three Mountains Ancestral Temple

Site of the Three Mountains Ancestral Temple

The site of the Three Mountains Ancestral Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The Three Mountains Ancestral Temple, also known as the Three Mountains God Temple, Three Mountains Kings Temple, Lin Tian Ancestral Temple, Ming Kuang Temple, or Guang Ling Temple, is commonly referred to as the Great Temple. It is located in Miaojiao Village, Hepo Town, Jiexi County, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. The temple was built at the foot of Yufeng Mountain, with Jinshan Mountain rising to the east, Ming Mountain facing it, Dushan Mountain to the north, the three mountains standing majestically together, where two streams converge to form the southern branch of the Rong River.

The Three Mountains Ancestral Temple has a long history and enjoys fame both in China and abroad. With over 1,400 years of history, it is the oldest temple in eastern Guangdong and the birthplace of the Three Mountains Kings belief worldwide. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 16,000 Three Mountains Kings temples around the world, including over 410 in Taiwan alone, and more than 140 in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan.

The Three Mountains Ancestral Temple was expanded in the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty and renovated in 1984. It covers an area of 1,420 square meters, with the temple complex consisting of three bays and three courtyards, including the front hall, side halls, main hall, and rear hall. The temple faces south with its back to the north, topped with glazed tiles, featuring carved beams and painted rafters, and laid with granite flooring, maintaining the architectural style since the Ming and Qing dynasties. The surrounding area of the temple has now been expanded to 6,040 square meters. Inside the temple, there are 47 statues of deities, along with poems and writings by historical figures such as Chen Yuanguang and Han Yu from the Tang Dynasty, and Liu Ximeng from the Yuan Dynasty.

In 2010, it was designated as a cultural relic protection unit in the sixth batch by the People's Government of Guangdong Province.

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Guangdong Province