Hejiang Wanshou Palace

Hejiang Wanshou Palace

Wanshou Palace: Located in the middle section of Laohe Street in front of Laojun Mountain, it was built during the Ming Dynasty by immigrants from Jiangxi—Liu and Liao families. The entire temple features a single wall made of fire-resistant stone and houses an interior courtyard with wooden structures. The street-facing side has three main gates, with the central one being the main entrance. It measures 3.2 meters long and 1.4 meters wide. On either side of the gate are stone “drum” steps carved with the motif "wild deer nibbling on flowers," and above the entrance is a stone relief carving of the "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea," inscribed with four large characters reading "Ji Ting Jiangxi" (“Traces from Jiangxi”), hence it is also called the Jiangxi Temple. The front hall served as a theater stage, supported by four square stone pillars each 7 meters tall. The roof is tiled, with upturned corners, and beneath the front two eaves hang small bronze bells that ring in the wind. The stage is supported by two large central pillars, with carvings along the edges depicting figures and floral patterns—these were damaged during the Cultural Revolution. At the center lies a large stone platform, flanked by separate male and female viewing stands for watching performances. The main hall is accessed via stone staircases on both sides leading into a temple courtyard, where eight circular stone pillars each 0.5 meters in diameter and 6 meters high stand. The building has fire-resistant side walls, a roof covered with small green tiles, and enshrined inside is a statue of Immortal Xu Xun (Xu Xun); this was destroyed when the local township office was established during the Republican era. After the success of the Xinhai Revolution, the area adopted a district-regiment administrative system, and offices such as the Regiment Office, United Security Office, and Township Office operated here. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Township People's Government was located here. In 1952, the Xiantan District Supply and Marketing Cooperative was established. Due to poor management, the cooperative deteriorated into a dangerous structure. In 1991, the cooperative demolished the street-facing storefront and the theater stage, then sold the surrounding wing rooms to private individuals, resulting in damage to historic relics.

Xiantan Town: Xiantan Town is located in the eastern part of Hejiang County, Sichuan Province. The town government is based in Xiantan Town, which is 58 kilometers from the county seat. To the east, it borders Jiangjin District, and to the southwest, it neighbors a national scenic area.

Geographic Location, Administrative History

Xiantan Town administers 11 administrative villages, 1 community neighborhood committee, and 101 villager groups, covering a total area of 101 square kilometers. It has 21,733 mu of arable land and 67,864 mu of forested land. In 1951, Xiantan Township was divided into four smaller townships: Xiantan, Minjian, Minjue, and Minquan. In 1956, it was reorganized back into a single Township People's Government... Detailed information about Xiantan Town++