Lin’gao Lady Xian Temple

Lin’gao Lady Xian Temple

The Lin’gao Lady Xian Temple is a cultural heritage site.

The Lady Xian Temple is located in front of Fuli Village, Huangtong Town, Lin’gao County, and was built in the early Ming Dynasty.

Lady Xian (512–602), also known as Baihe or Ying, was of the Yue ethnic group from southern Guangdong. She was the wife of Feng Bao, the Prefect of Gaoliang, and is historically referred to as the Lady of Qiao State and the Holy Mother of Lingnan.

Lady Xian was born on the 24th day of the 11th lunar month in the year 512 (during the 11th year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty) in Lidong Village, Gaojiang Commandery (now Douding Village, Dianbai County, Guangdong). On the 18th day of the 1st lunar month in the 2nd year of the Renshou era (602) during the Sui Dynasty, Lady Xian passed away peacefully at the age of 91 while inspecting Hainan. She lived through the Liang, Chen, and Sui dynasties, dedicating her life to safeguarding national unity. Her outstanding contributions helped maintain stability in Lingnan society and promoted the economic and cultural development of the Yue people.

Known as the "Holy Mother of Lingnan," Lady Xian was praised by Zhou Enlai, the founding Premier of the People's Republic of China, as "the foremost heroine of China." She has been deeply revered by the people of Lingnan since ancient times. Temples dedicated to Lady Xian can be found throughout Qiongzhou. Lin’gao alone has five, with the first one built being the Lady Xian Temple in Fuli Village.

Legend has it that 600 years ago, Old Man Liang Ermo from Fuli Village would pass by a small tree near the village (now the temple site) every day while herding his cattle. He noticed a red paper strip hanging from the tree, which remained undamaged despite months of wind and rain, instead curling gently on its own. Intrigued, Liang approached and saw that the paper was tangled in spider silk. Carefully, he untangled it and took it back to the village for someone literate to read. The paper contained the words “Lady Xian.” After discussing among the villagers, it was decided to build a temple for Lady Xian. Through the collective effort of the villagers, the first Lin’gao Lady Xian Temple was constructed using vines for pillars and thatched grass for roofing. A shrine was set up with incense to pray for protection. From then on, reverence for Lady Xian spread far and wide—from nearby to distant places, across the land, and throughout the skies. Her fame reached both within and beyond Qiong Island, drawing pilgrims from Xuwen and Zhanjiang who braved the sea to pay homage. In the 5th year of the Republic of China (1916), the four villages of Huangtong—Fuli, Meiou, Xundao, and Dunchong—collectively renovated the thatched shrine into a top-tier stone, wood, and tile structure, the then-new “Lady Xian Temple,” complete with a shrine and a statue of Lady Xian. In 1920, Wang Guangmo, a literary degree holder from Meishan Village in Dongjiang District, Lin’gao County, composed a couplet for the temple: “Serving the country was not for reward, but so that our descendants may always hold good hearts.” Qiu Guandong, a late Qing scholar from Hexing Village in Huangtong District, wrote another: “Encouraging loyalty, righteousness, and bravery, she stands with the virtuous prefects; sharing valor with her husband, the female general ultimately surpassed the warrior.” Every year from the 10th to the 12th of the 2nd lunar month, a three-day temple fair is held to celebrate Lady Xian’s heroic deeds and patriotic spirit, passing them down through generations.

Huangtong Town: Huangtong Town is located in the eastern part of Lin’gao County, bordering Fushan Town of Chengmai County to the southeast. It is 20 kilometers from downtown Lin’gao. National Highway 225 and Provincial Road Linhai run through the town, providing convenient transportation. The area features low-lying terrain, fertile soil, abundant water sources, and a tropical monsoon climate with plentiful rainfall. The Donggan Canal from the Songtao Reservoir runs through the region, offering ideal natural conditions for agricultural development. The town is also home to one of the historic “Eight Scenic Spots of Lin’gao”—the Guyin Waterfall—making it a picturesque agricultural town rich in resources.

The town covers a total area of 124.3 square kilometers and administers 18 villages (… More detailed information about Huangtong Town++)