Guihui Confucian Temple

Guihui Confucian Temple

The Guihui Confucian Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The Ming and Qing Dynasty Guihui Confucian Temple in Huizhou is located at No. 1 Hui Xinzhong Street, Qiaodong Subdistrict, Huicheng District, Huizhou City, within the campus of Huizhou High School. Originally built in the first year of the Taiding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1324), it underwent 26 renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to the Jiaching-era "Huizhou Prefecture Annals," the temple was quite expansive at the time, featuring a Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond, Jimen (Rank Gate), Dacheng Hall, Minglun Hall, Hui Zhan Hall, the Instructor’s Office, east and west side halls, student dormitories, and a Jingyi Pavilion at the back left. By the Qing Dynasty, additional structures included the Jiashan Shrine, Susong Pavilion, Zhongyi Xiaoti Shrine, Minghuan Shrine, Qingyun Pavilion, and Wenchang Palace. In the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), the temple served as school buildings for Huizhou Middle School, and in 1968, part of the site was used by Huizhou No. 2 Middle School. Today, only the Jimen (Rank Gate) and Dacheng Hall, built in the 41st year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1613), remain.

The Jimen (Rank Gate) is five bays wide (17.7 meters), 9.75 meters deep, with a 12-rafter structure divided over three central columns, and features a flush-gable roof standing 9 meters high. The front columns are adorned with six bracket sets each for both column-top and intercolumnar brackets, using the six-rafter style with three upward scrolls and double-layered arches in a weighted-heart configuration, while the interior uses the six-rafter style with three upward scrolls in an open-heart configuration. The walls preserve a significant number of murals, with plum blossom-patterned brick carvings on the upturned eave corners and lotus-petal-patterned lime plaster sculptures.

The Dacheng Hall is five bays wide (18 meters), 12.5 meters deep, with a 12-rafter structure and a post-and-lintel beam system. It has a double-eave hip-and-gable roof standing 10.5 meters high, with eight bracket sets on the upper eave. The lower eave features six column-top bracket sets and six intercolumnar bracket sets on the Pu Bai beam, using the five-rafter style with double upward scrolls and double-layered arches in a weighted-heart configuration on the exterior, and the five-rafter style with double upward scrolls in an open-heart configuration on the interior.

Since their construction, both buildings have undergone multiple renovations, with their main structures retaining the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty while also incorporating elements from the Qing Dynasty. The materials used are robust, and the craftsmanship is refined. Carved details such as dragon-fish brackets, floral corbels, and cloud-shaped camel humps are exquisitely executed, embodying distinct Lingnan characteristics. In 1993, the Jimen and Dacheng Hall were renovated. The left seven-rafter beam of the Dacheng Hall was replaced according to the original structure, bracket sets were restored, and the roof was rebuilt. Historical features were revived with lime-plaster carvings of plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo on the main ridge, and designs such as intertwined chrysanthemums, the Eight Treasures and “Three Successes in One,” and “Smooth Progress in Exams” on the hip ridges and vertical ridges. The main gates of the Dacheng Hall and Jimen were refitted with lattice doors.

In 1990, the Huizhou Municipal People's Government designated it as a cultural relic protection unit. On July 17, 2002, it was included in the fourth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units