The Arcade Buildings and Dragon Mother Temple Scenic Area

The Arcade Buildings - Dragon Mother Temple Scenic Area

The Arcade Buildings - Dragon Mother Temple Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and cultural tourism site.

The Arcade Buildings

Wuzhou has long been the water gateway of Guangxi. After the 1920s, traditional lane-style houses could no longer meet the needs of the increasingly prosperous commercial development, and arcade buildings gradually replaced them. Located in Lingnan, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through, Wuzhou historically adopted the arcade architectural style to adapt to the region’s humid, rainy climate and frequent floods. Most arcade buildings were three or four stories high, with the upper floors of street-facing shops projecting outward. The covered space on the second floor formed a pedestrian walkway, giving the appearance of “riding” over the sidewalk—hence the name “arcade buildings.” This design not only sheltered pedestrians from sun and rain but also expanded the building area.

Behind the arcades lie inner streets, where residential entrances generally open onto these lanes, turning the inner streets into a communal “public hall” for residents, filled with warmth and human connection. This layered, street-front corridor complex adapted well to the richness of daily life and the diverse functional needs of urban space.

On the facades of the arcades, one can see many representative elements of traditional Chinese architecture: floral windows, brick carvings, and memorial archways, all exquisitely crafted, with both function and artistry reaching a high level. Among them, the iron rings outside the arcade pillars, a distinctive Lingnan feature, were used by residents to tie up boats during floods.

Additionally, as Wuzhou was one of Guangxi’s earliest port cities open to foreign trade, it was heavily influenced by external economic and cultural forces, resulting in strong Western architectural elements in the arcades—such as Roman columns, round arch windows, and dome carvings—typical of Western architectural language. The fusion and harmonious coexistence of Chinese and Western cultures on the arcades reflect the vicissitudes of history and continue to radiate cultural charm today.

Within approximately one square kilometer of Wuzhou’s old urban area in Hedong, there are currently 22 arcade streets and 560 arcade buildings. Their large scale and sheer number are rare in China, making it a veritable “China Arcade Museum City.” The continuous expanse of arcade buildings in Wuzhou’s Hedong old town, shaped by the city’s unique geographical location and historical-cultural background, serves as a vivid living dictionary chronicling the local customs and life of old Wuzhou.

Throughout the Arcade Museum City, one can find grey relief art on walls that embodies traditional Chinese culture. On the arcade wall along Danan Road, one relief depicts “Abundance Year After Year,” showing two carp swimming beneath a lotus pond; another shows four white cranes under a pine tree, symbolizing “Longevity of Pine and Crane.” There are also vases symbolizing “Peace and Safety,” and at the Dragon Mother Temple Plaza, carvings depict “Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.”

The parapet wall is the most delicate term among the decorative elements of arcade buildings. The low wall, about half a person’s height, standing along the street at the roof edge is the parapet. The origin of the parapet is quite interesting: in ancient times, due to feudal ethics, wealthy families built this wall on rooftops and walls to prevent their daughters from going out freely. Yet, confined indoors, the girls were drawn to the excitement of the outside world. They would climb up to the roofs or high walls and peek through the low protective wall. Over time, it came to be known as the parapet. This street-facing low wall allowed young ladies to observe the mortal world from their secluded chambers, subtly blooming with youthful vibrance. Occasionally, a scholarly youth who glanced upward might catch such a glimpse—and thus begins a romantic tale.

The Dragon Mother Temple

Wuzhou is the hometown of the Dragon Mother. To commemorate her, during the Northern Song Dynasty, the Dragon Mother Temple was built on the banks of the Gui River in the northern part of the city. The Dragon Mother Temple is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Wuzhou and southeastern Guangxi. The temple is resplendent in appearance. Originally constructed in the early Northern Song Dynasty, it was renovated during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era and the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi and Yongzheng eras. It is one of the few cultural relics in Guangxi that retains architectural features from the Song Dynasty, embodying styles from the Song, Ming, and Qing periods.

The Dragon Mother Temple is situated on the picturesque banks of the Gui River, nestled against the mountain and facing the water, embodying a spiritually charged site—a true millennium-old sacred temple. Originally composed of a mountain gate, front hall, rear hall, side chambers, and corner pavilions, parts of the temple were damaged during wartime. Since its reopening in 1987, continuous renovations have preserved the ancient architectural style while adding key structures such as a memorial archway, imperial palace, turtle pond, Guanyin Pavilion, Blessing Pavilion, Liberation Pavilion, and the Dragon Mother Vegetarian Restaurant. In 2005, the Wuzhou municipal government allocated 10.2 hectares of land north of the original temple for expansion, investing over 60 million yuan. This expanded the temple’s area from the original 5,000-plus square meters to 100,000 square meters. Now, it includes a memorial archway, front hall, Dragon Mother Treasure Hall, Dragon Mother Bedroom, bell tower, drum tower, pagoda, side rooms, corridors, and the tallest Dragon Mother statue in China at 38 meters.

According to research, the Dragon Mother was the leader of the ancient “Cangwu” tribe in southern China. She was born on the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, which is celebrated as the “Dragon Mother’s Birthday.” She passed away on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, known as the “Ascension Day.” Having devoted herself to leading people in mountain-clearing and water-control projects for the benefit of the community, she earned deep love and respect. Thus, the “Dragon Mother’s Birthday” and “Ascension Day” became traditional commemorative days at the temple. These two dates—every year on the eighth day of the fifth lunar month and the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month—are the liveliest times at the Dragon Mother Temple. The temple stays open all night, with worshippers flocking to pay homage, offer incense, touch the Dragon Bed, gaze into the Dragon Mother Mirror, use the Dragon Mother Comb, bathe in Dragon Mother Water, drink Dragon Mother Tea, and toss coins into the Longevity Turtle pool.

Address of the Wuzhou Arcade Buildings – Dragon Mother Temple Scenic Area: The Arcade Buildings are located in the Hedong old urban area of Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; the Dragon Mother Temple is located in the northern part of Wuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the banks of the Gui River.

Ticket Information for the Wuzhou Arcade Buildings – Dragon Mother Temple Scenic Area: Free

Transportation to the Wuzhou Arcade Buildings – Dragon Mother Temple Scenic Area: 1. Arcade Buildings: The arcade streets are mainly distributed along Dadong Shanglu, Dadong Xialu, Fumin Lu, Datong Lu, Zhongshan Lu, Zhuan An Lu, Wufang Lu, Sha Jie, Jiu Fang Lu, Nan Huan Lu, Da Zhong Lu, Minzhu Lu, Jianshe Lu, Danan Lu, Xiaonan Lu, Sifang Lu, Guilin Lu, Guibei Lu, and Beihuan Lu. 2. Dragon Mother Temple: Take bus 3 to the Municipal Government stop, where a shuttle bus is available directly to the temple (1.2 yuan fare), or take bus 1 to get there.