Ancestral Temple of Lizhuang (Early Activity Site of the CPC Nanxi County Committee and Former Site of Tongji University Medical School)

Ancestral Temple of Lizhuang (Early Activity Site of the CPC Nanxi County Committee and Former Site of Tongji University Medical School)

The Ancestral Temple of Lizhuang (Early Activity Site of the CPC Nanxi County Committee and Former Site of Tongji University Medical School) is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Ancestral Temple

The Ancestral Temple, also known as the Zhenwu Palace, is located at No. 29 Junmin Street in Lizhuang Town. It was funded and constructed in the 13th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1833) by the Tiandenghui, a local guild organization in Lizhuang. The temple faces south and covers an area of over 1,960 square meters, featuring a traditional front-and-back courtyard layout, with the rear hall standing independently in the backyard. Initially, the Ancestral Temple enshrined the Xuanwu Ancestral Deity, whose statue was depicted with disheveled hair, an open chest, bare feet stepping on a turtle and a snake, and a sword in hand. In February 1905, during the 31st year of the Guangxu reign, the grand entrance gate and theater stage were demolished to make way for the renovation needed to establish the “Lizhuang Central National School of Nanxi County.” A new brick school gate was erected, and the school’s name inscribed above the gate remains clearly legible after nearly a century. Notably, the brickwork craftsmanship and the various decorative patterns on the gate are still admired by many masons as exemplary.

In 1927, the party and league organizations of Nanxi County in Sichuan Province shifted their focus entirely to rural areas. By organizing struggles such as resisting rents, protecting tenancy rights, and opposing taxes, they trained and developed party and league members, established rural branches, and began piloting the formation of peasant association organizations. On January 27, 1928, the CPC Nanxi County Committee held a meeting of party and league cadres at the Ancestral Temple of Lizhuang, where it was decided to prepare for the establishment of a county-level Peasant Association. On February 8, representatives from over 280 local peasant associations gathered at the Chuanzhu Temple in Songjia Township to convene the Peasant Association Congress, officially founding the Nanxi County Peasant Association. Zhang Shouheng, a member of the county committee, was elected as chairman.

During the War of Resistance against Japan (1940–1946), the medical school of the National Tongji University, which had relocated inland, was housed here. During its time in Lizhuang, Tongji Medical School tackled a long-prevalent endemic disease in southern Sichuan known as "Bi Disease." Mild cases caused general weakness and numb skin, while severe cases led to vomiting, diarrhea, limb paralysis, and—when it reached the chest—proved fatal with no cure, leaving patients to await death. At one gathering at Yizhong Middle School in Yibin, 37 people fell ill. Professors Tang Zhe and Du Gongzhen from Tongji Medical School conducted animal experiments and identified the cause as a certain substance in the local salt supply. They proposed preventive measures and treatment protocols, saving numerous lives. Later, Professor Tang Zhe published the paper “Bi Disease as Observed in Lizhuang.” With the disease brought under control, this research was awarded the First Prize for Applied Science Inventions nationwide in 1943.

Built in 1833, the Ancestral Temple faces south and spans an area of 4,349 square meters, featuring a traditional front-and-back courtyard layout, with the rear hall standing independently in the backyard. In February 1905, during the 31st year of the Guangxu reign, the grand entrance gate and theater stage were demolished to make way for the renovation needed to establish the “Lizhuang Central National School of Nanxi County.” A new brick school gate was erected, and the school’s name inscribed above the gate remains clearly legible after nearly a century.

Ancient Town of Lizhuang

Spiral Hall

Lufeng Mountain Villa

Lizhuang Dongyue Temple (Former Headquarters for the Nanxi Peasant Uprising Attack on Lizhuang)

Lizhuang Zhang Family Ancestral Hall

Lizhuang Yuwang Palace (Huiguang Temple)

Lizhuang Kuixing Pavilion

Mai Tianguan Mansion

Lizhuang Wangye Temple

Lizhuang Guanyin Hall

Lizhuang Huanhou Palace

Lizhuang Nanhua Palace

Lizhuang Jade Buddha Temple