Minyue Guild Hall

Minyue Guild Hall

Minyue Guild Hall — Also known as the Tin Hau Temple, the Minyue Guild Hall was first built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It was solely funded by an elderly man surnamed Xue, who had no descendants despite years of doing business here, at the cost of several thousand taels of silver. It has a history of over 300 years. The guild hall was constructed in the style of the Tin Hau Temples found in the Zhangzhou area of Fujian. It faces east and is situated westward, with the main hall to the west, the front hall to the east, and wing rooms to the north and south. A statue of Mazu is enshrined in the center of the main hall, where merchants from all over come to worship and pay tribute. The front hall is integrated with the main hall, creating an imposing atmosphere. The guild hall features tall walls and blue tiles, adorned with simple yet exquisite murals, making it one of the largest Mazu temples in the Lingnan region.

The Minyue Guild Hall houses two couplets: The first reads: "Vast is the heaven, grand virtue resides in water; Radiant is our sovereign, rightly enthroned in earth." The horizontal scroll reads “One Family, Min and Yue.” The fourth characters of the upper and lower lines together form “Tian Hou” (Heavenly Empress), whose lofty virtues and boundless wisdom protect the Fujianese abroad. “Vast” implies broad and far-reaching, likened to the sky; “grand virtue” or “great virtue.” “In water” means Mazu is the goddess who protects seafarers, signifying that her immense benevolence is bestowed upon us. The first “radiant” refers to clarity and discernment, while the second “radiant” refers to a person of radiant virtue—namely the goddess Mazu. “Rightly enthroned” reflects the exalted position Mazu holds in the hearts of the Fujianese. The entire couplet conveys that the wisdom and noble virtues of the Heavenly Empress hold an infinitely lofty place in the minds of the Fujianese people. The horizontal scroll, “One Family, Min and Yue,” does not refer to both Fujian and Guangdong, but specifically to Fujian. “Minyue” is also known as “Minyue,” the name of an ancient kingdom. In ancient times, the people of Min in southern Zhejiang and Fujian were divided into seven clans, hence called “Seven Min.” “Minyue,” “Seven Min,” and “Min” all refer solely to Fujian. “One Family, Min and Yue” actually means that fellow Fujianese are one family.

The second couplet reads: “Heaven’s grace extends to the four seas; The Empress’s virtue stems from the Three Mountains.” The first characters of the upper and lower lines together form “Tian Hou,” and the second characters form “En De” (Grace and Virtue). “Extend” means to spread or be passed down, while “stem” refers to the origin or root. “The four seas” refers to the belief in ancient times that China was surrounded by seas, hence called the “land within the seas.” What are the “Three Mountains”? Because Fujian is home to three great mountains — Xianshan, Mingshan, and Yuwangshan — it is thus known as the land of the Three Mountains. This couplet means: the roots of the Heavenly Empress’s grace lie in Fujian, and her virtue spreads throughout all of China.

The primary function of the guild hall was to serve as a hub for provincial chambers of commerce and commercial exchanges. Its layout is symmetrical, with front and rear sections complementing each other, creating a majestic and imposing atmosphere. It possesses a deep heritage of commercial and historical culture. It has now been listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Guangxi.

In 1996, due to being inundated by a once-in-a-century massive flood, the main hall of the guild hall collapsed. Today, only the front hall and the left and right wing rooms remain. The former grandeur and prosperity of the Minyue Guild Hall have become history, leaving behind only fragments of a broken past and endless solitude and desolation. If a visionary with substantial financial resources is willing to devote heart and effort to rebuilding the Tin Hau Temple, the ancient city of Danzhou will once again shine with its brightest historical moment.

Source: Tourism Bureau of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County

Danzhou Scenic Area

Huanlei Gate

Danzhou Academy

Zhiding Gate