Qiongtai Blessed Land

Qiongtai Blessed Land

Qiongtai Blessed Land is located within Guandi Alley, a north-south lane on Wenzhuang Road in Fucheng, Haikou City. At the entrance of the alley stands an exquisitely designed memorial archway, entirely constructed from stone in an ancient railing style. It features a single-eave, four-pillar structure, with each pillar adorned with a decorative wind-blocking panel at the front and back. The roof is made of stacked stones with undulating tile patterns and is topped with fish-tailed dragon ornaments. The archway spans three bays, and both the front and back plaques are inscribed with raised, gold-plated seal script characters reading “Qiongtai Blessed Land.”

Passing through the archway and walking into the narrow Guandi Alley, you will see a group of magnificent, antique-style buildings atop dozens of steps. This is the widely renowned ancient cultural site of the old city.

This area is part of Ba’er Mountain, one of the three peaks of Fucheng. During the Tang Dynasty, it housed the Provincial Governor’s Office; during the Song Dynasty, the Surveillance Commission; and during the Yuan Dynasty, the Marshal’s Office. People commonly referred to government offices as “tai” (台), hence the name “Qiongtai.” The term “Qiongtai Blessed Land” has a long history. Astrologers once said that the yang energy of the Chinese mainland crosses the sea and gathers first beneath Qiongtai, thus earning it the title of “blessed land.” There is also a legend that the shape of Hainan resembles a turtle with its head withdrawn. Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, fearing it might raise its head and threaten the dynasty, relocated the prefectural city to where the turtle’s head was tucked in. In the sixth year of Xining during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty (1073 AD), the Qiongguan Pacification Commission was established in Fucheng to oversee the administration of the entire island, symbolically keeping the turtle subdued. As a result, the area was then called Qiongtai. In the first year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1403 AD), Yang Yi, the military commander of Hainan Wei, erected a stone stele inscribed with “Ba’er Mountain” at the mountain’s peak and also built a memorial archway at the southern foot of the mountain inscribed with “Qiongtai Blessed Land.” In the early years of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty (1488 AD), villagers excavated Ba’er Mountain to build a Guan Yu Temple. In the 22nd year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1757 AD), Zhang Jieqi, the provincial patrol inspector, restored Qiongtai Blessed Land in response to public demand. In the 43rd year of Qianlong (1778 AD), Wang, the then magistrate of Qiongshan County, inscribed the characters “Qiongtai” on a stone tablet. Later, structures such as the Guan Yu Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, Goddess Shrine, Offering Platform, Theater Stage, and Stone Archway were built on the blessed land, making it a destination for literati and a place for common people to pray for peace and health.

The Qiongtai Blessed Land Archway and other structures built on the southern side of the mountain in the first year of the Yongle era (1403) have been lost to the vast river of history. In 1999, when the former Qiongshan City was approved by the State Council as a “Historic and Cultural City,” the Qiongtai Blessed Land Archway was rebuilt on its original site, the Guan Yu Hall was renovated, and new structures such as Fudi Pavilion, Qiongtai Pavilion, East Corridor, and West Corridor were added, forming the Qiongtai Blessed Land Memorial Hall. This restoration revived its former glory and vibrancy.

Stone steps lead up to the lofty Qiongtai Blessed Land—nine steps per platform, totaling twenty-seven steps and three platforms. Fudi Pavilion is built on the third, expansive platform. On the protective walls on either side of this high platform, a vivid dragon head protrudes outward. Along the steps and the stone railings of the platform, each column is topped with a small, lifelike stone lion in various poses, with fifteen pairs in total facing each other. The outer side of each symmetrical railing slab is carved with floral patterns, while the inner side features relief sculptures of civil and military officials or cultural figures from Qiongzhou from the Tang to the Qing Dynasties. Each slab includes the person’s hometown, official title, life story, evaluations, and scenes of their activities—thirty figures in total, such as Qiu Jun, Hai Rui, Zhong Fang, Tang Zuo, Xue Yuan, Chen Shi, Xie Bao, and Wu Dian...

These elite figures from Hainan were immensely talented, showcasing their wisdom and brilliance throughout China’s long history.

The gathering of so many remarkable individuals across dynasties, transcending time and space, is the glory of Qiongtai Blessed Land and the pride of Hainan.

The most breathtaking feature of Fudi Pavilion is the two coiled-dragon stone pillars in front of its gate. Each pillar is intricately hollow-carved with a massive dragon. Along the dragons’ coiled bodies stand statues of legendary figures from folklore: Cao Guojiu holding jade tablets, Tieguai Li with his iron crutch, Han Zhongli shaking his drum, Zhang Guolao riding a donkey, Lü Dongbin playing the flute, He Xiangu wearing a bamboo hat, Lan Caihe holding large castanets, Han Xiangzi carrying a flower basket, as well as carp leaping through the Dragon Gate amidst flowers, plants, insects, and birds... The dragon heads face each other, mouths open with pearls, round eyes wide, and whiskers flowing, as if ready to soar into the sky. The exquisite stone pillars are rich in content, showcasing the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture, while the unmatched craftsmanship of the stonemasons is evident.

On the eastern side of the gate courtyard is a large seal script plaque inscribed with the characters “Qiongtai,” written by the Qiongshan magistrate in the 43rd year of Qianlong (1778). It is said that this plaque was unearthed from underground during the 1999 reconstruction, broken into three pieces, and later restored and reinstalled here.

Passing through the gate, flanked by the couplet “The enchanting beauty of Qiongtai spreads across the world; the glorious monument of the blessed land shines brightly over Hainan,” you enter a courtyard lush with green bamboo. The walls of the corridors on both sides are embedded with many stone steles. At the northern end of the courtyard, the two-story, double-eaved Qiongtai Pavilion stands out with its green tiles, red walls, red pillars, red railings, carved windows, and red lanterns. The ridgeline of its hip-and-gable roof features two long dragons winding toward a small pagoda, while the four corners of the double eaves are guarded by serene stone qilins, bringing a sense of dynamism and vitality to this uniquely Chinese, otherwise static pavilion.

Behind Qiongtai Pavilion is a wall with a huge golden “Fu” (blessing) character in the center, around which golden dragons are dancing. Two smaller gates, “Wenjing” (Literary Classics) and “Wuwei” (Martial Arts), flank the wall, leading to the Guan Yu Hall and connecting Fudi Pavilion, Qiongtai Pavilion, and the Hall as a whole. This wall also serves as the screen wall for the rear Guan Yu Hall.

The green-tiled roof is decorated in a “pin” (tripod) pattern, and the snow-white screen wall features a large relief of a golden dragon coiled at its center. On either side are inscribed the four large golden characters “Zhongyi” (Loyalty and Righteousness) and “Ren Yong” (Benevolence and Bravery). The golden relief embodies the essence of dragon culture, while the characters precisely summarize the virtues of Guan Yu. A towering, two-meter-high, pagoda-shaped Everlasting Treasure Tripod is placed in front of the screen wall, with six upturned eaves on its second and third tiers, each adorned with a wind chime that tinkles gently in the breeze.

The courtyard is graced by evergreen sago palms, and the walls of the corridors on both sides display three one-meter-square boxwood reliefs depicting key episodes from Guan Yu’s life: the Peach Garden Oath, resigning his seal and sealing his gold, going alone with a saber to a meeting, slaying Yan Liang with his saber, curing poison by scraping his bone, and beheading Cai Yang. These are all stories familiar to the Chinese people.

The resplendent Guan Yu Hall dominates the northern side of the courtyard. Inside the main hall, within a bright red and golden shrine, sits Guan Yu, described as “nine chi tall with a beard two chi long; his face like a ripe jujube, lips as if rouged; with phoenix eyes and silkworm eyebrows, a dignified and awe-inspiring appearance.” He is depicted with his right hand stroking his long, inky black beard and his left hand holding a scroll of military strategy, looking composed and engrossed in reading. Guan Ping, holding a golden seal with both hands, and Zhou Cang, gripping a large saber in one hand and a sword in the other, stand on either side. The statues of Guan Yu, Guan Ping, and Zhou Cang are all carved from solid imported jackfruit wood. On the central gable wall of the Guan Yu Temple is embedded a green stone carving of a water-spouting dragon. Devotees come here to offer incense and pay homage in an endless stream, and the temple becomes especially crowded on Guan Yu’s birthday and death anniversary.

On either side of the Guan Yu Hall are two smaller temples, dedicated to Mazu and Guanyin. Coastal residents worship Mazu, the guardian deity of the sea, while those hoping to have children pay homage to Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. The presence of a main hall alongside two temples is a rare sight elsewhere.

The architecture of Qiongtai Blessed Land preserves ancient styles, with orderly layout, symmetrical structure, intricately painted beams and carved rafters, grand scale, majestic appearance, and a rich cultural atmosphere.

Address:

A north-south lane within Guandi Alley on Wenzhuang Road in Fucheng Town, Qiongshan District, Haikou City.

Admission:

Free.