Fengtai Dawang Temple

Fengtai Dawang Temple

Fengtai Dawang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Dawang Temple, also known as Jindi Yonggu Temple, is situated on the eastern embankment of the Yongding River, west of the Lugou Bridge, outside Beitianzhuang Village in Fengtai District, adjacent to the West Fifth Ring Road. Facing south with its back to the north, the temple is highly visible from afar. It is the only water control temple dedicated to the "Mother River of Beijing" — the Yongding River. The origins of Dawang Temple are tied to "water management." In the 16th year of the Guangxu reign (1890), the Yongding River burst its banks, causing flooding that reached the area around Guang’anmen. The Qing court allocated 300,000 taels of silver and tasked Li Hongzhang, the Viceroy of Zhili, with organizing the sealing of the breach in the Yongding River embankment. The breach was successfully sealed in September of that year.

To commemorate the success of the emergency project to seal the Yongding River embankment breach, the officials involved in the water management effort used surplus funds and materials the following year (1891) to build a Dragon King Temple at the foot of the embankment. This structure served the dual purpose of housing flood prevention personnel and praying for safety. Empress Dowager Cixi inscribed a plaque for the temple reading “Eternal Protection for Calm Waters,” and Emperor Guangxu also inscribed one that read “Golden Embankment, Ever Firm.”

The temple enshrines the “Water Official Great Emperor” and the “River-Controlling Dragon King,” both believed to be able to dispel calamities, and is commonly referred to by local farmers as “Dawang Temple” (Great King Temple). To this day, these inscriptions and plaques remain preserved in the temple, with their texts still clearly legible.

The temple covers a total area of 1,322 square meters, with a built-up area of 582 square meters, including the gate hall (mountain gate), east and west side halls, east and west wing halls, and east and west side rooms. Upon entering the first courtyard through the gate hall, the east and west side halls are the Wenchang Hall and Guan Di Hall, while the main hall is the Dawang Hall, which enshrines a great king dressed as a warrior. Legend has it that it was thanks to this great king’s protection that the breached dam destroyed by the flood was successfully sealed, so it was only natural to enshrine him when the temple was built. Above the great king hangs a plaque inscribed with “Golden Embankment, Ever Firm,” written by Emperor Guangxu. It is said that in 1890 (the 16th year of Guangxu), the Yongding River flooded, not only submerging dozens of counties including Daxing, Liangxiang, and Zhuozhou under water, but even reaching the area around Guang’anmen. At that time, officials of the Qing government worked tirelessly day and night to control the flood, eventually achieving success. The following year, the officials decided to use the remaining funds from reinforcing the embankment to build a water control temple as a memorial. For this reason, Emperor Guangxu personally inscribed the plaque. Passing through the Dawang Hall into the second courtyard, the side halls are the Cihang Hall and Sanxing Hall, while the main hall is the Dragon King Hall, which enshrines the Dragon King who governs water. Above the Dragon King is also hung a plaque inscribed with “Eternal Protection for Calm Waters,” written by Empress Dowager Cixi.

Over the more than 200 years of Qing dynasty history, it is said that the Yongding River breached its banks 78 times. Therefore, unlike other temples that enshrine deities, Dawang Temple would, during each flood season, find a turtle or snake from the Yongding River to enshrine in the main hall. They would also hold opera performances on the theater stage and conduct sacrificial ceremonies to pray for exemption from floods.

Like many ancient structures, Dawang Temple went through a period of being garrisoned by river soldiers, and later served as a township government office, elementary school, brigade headquarters, and even a dormitory for educated youths... It inevitably fell into decline and disrepair. Because it was built using leftover funds from water control projects, the construction of Dawang Temple was very simple, leading to it also being called the “Poor” Dawang Temple. In 2003, Fengtai District in Beijing initiated a restoration project for Dawang Temple. Since then, on the second day of the second lunar month every year, the temple has held a grand blessing ceremony to welcome good fortune.