Haikou Tianhou Palace

Haikou Tianhou Palace

Haikou Tianhou Palace is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hainan Province.

Haikou Tianhou Palace, located at No. 87 Zhongshan Road in Haikou (also known as Tianhou Temple or Mazu Temple), was first built during the Yuan Dynasty and has a history of over 700 years. After the liberation, the Haikou Finance Bureau took over the palace as public property, which was later transferred to the management of the Haikou Housing Bureau. The Haikou Housing Bureau treated it as directly managed public housing and leased it long-term to Zhongshan Overseas Chinese Mall, which was part of the Haikou Special Supply Corporation under the Haikou Commerce and Trade Bureau. In June 2000, the Haikou Municipal Government approved the announcement of Tianhou Palace as a municipal-level cultural heritage site. In May 2009, the Hainan Provincial Government approved the announcement of Tianhou Palace as part of the second batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites.

According to the Ming Dynasty's "Qiongtai Zhi" (Records of Qiongtai) from the Zhengde era, by the Yuan Dynasty, at least, “Tianfei Temples” had already appeared in areas such as Qiongshan (now part of Haikou), Wanzhou (now Wanning), Yazhou (now Sanya), and Gan'en (now Dongfang). However, the “Tianfei Temples” in Wanning, Sanya, and Dongfang no longer have any remains, with only the one in Haikou still surviving. Its site is located on Zhongshan Road and Baishamen Shangcun in Haikou’s old street area, and the temple is now called “Tianhou Palace.” The Japanese scholar Kobayashi Jun’s "History of Hainan Island" also mentions: “The earliest Tianhou Temple on Hainan Island was built during the Yuan Dynasty in Baishajin and Haikou.”

The last renovation of the “Tianhou Palace” on Zhongshan Road in Haikou was carried out in the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1860). On June 15, 2000, the Haikou Municipal Government listed its ruins as a municipal-level cultural heritage site, and it was soon also listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage site. In November of the same year, during the restructuring of Haikou’s commercial enterprises, the “Tianhou Palace” was used to offset employee resettlement fees as directly managed public housing and was sold to former employees of Zhongshan Overseas Chinese Mall. For a time, the “Tianhou Palace” became a warehouse for private shops. The main structure of the existing Tianhou Palace still showcases the grandeur of its original architecture. Architectural experts have highly praised its building style, noting that it is a typical example of traditional Chinese post-and-lintel construction, featuring exquisite craftsmanship and detailed carvings. It also reflects the long-standing presence of Mazu culture in Hainan.

Location: No. 87 Zhongshan Road, Longhua District, Haikou City, Hainan Province

Transportation: Take bus lines 3, 5, 6, 14, 17, 20, 21, 30, 37, Tourist Line 1, or Tourist Line 3 within Haikou City to get there.