Memorial Temple of Lord Zhang Wenlie

Memorial Temple of Lord Zhang Wenlie

The Memorial Temple of Lord Zhang Wenlie is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Memorial Temple of Lord Zhang Wenlie is located in Yongning Li, Cuntoufang, Wanjiang Neighborhood Committee Village. In the 21st year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1895), the Zhang clan raised funds to convert the former residence of the anti-Qing national hero and Lord of Zengcheng, Zhang Jiayu, into the Wenlie Ancestral Temple. Ancestral worship ceremonies are held twice a year, in spring and autumn.

The temple consists of two buildings, with a large wooden plaque hanging in the main hall inscribed with “Nian Zi Tang” (Hall of Remembrance). The spirit shrine holds wooden ancestral tablets inscribed with “The spirit tablet of the Ming imperial scholar, who served successively as a Hanlin Bachelor, Minister of War, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, Grand Secretary of the East Pavilion, Minister of Personnel, Senior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, Lord of Zengcheng, posthumously titled Wenlie, the honorable Master Zhiyuan.” Beside it is enshrined the tablet of “the honorable Master Jiazheng, styled Jiazhen.” The incense table is neatly arranged, exuding solemnity and reverence.

Zhang Jiayu (1615–1647), courtesy name Yuanshi, style name Zhizhuan, was a native of Dongguan, Guangdong. He was one of the “Three Loyalists of Lingnan” during the late Ming and early Qing periods. In his youth, he had a passion for martial arts. Later, he took the imperial examinations and passed the Jinshi degree in the 16th year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1643), earning an appointment as a Hanlin Bachelor. In March of the following year, when the peasant rebel army led by Li Zicheng captured Beijing, Zhang voluntarily wrote to offer his service to Li Zicheng. However, after Li’s forces were defeated by the Qing army, Zhang turned to the Southern Ming regime under the Hongguang Emperor in Nanjing. But he was accused of having surrendered to Li Zicheng and was subsequently imprisoned. During the Shunzhi reign of the Qing… More details about Zhang Jiayu ++

Wanjiang Subdistrict: Wanjiang derives its name from the crystal-clear waters of the Dong River that flow through this fertile land, forming a network of crisscrossing river branches. It is an ancient town that has long served as a key transportation hub and a bustling hub for merchants throughout history.

Geographically located in the central part of Dongguan City, Wanjiang lies in the middle section of the eastern line of the Pearl River Delta economic zone, enjoying a superior location with well-developed water and land transport. Covering an area of 50.5 square kilometers, it governs 27 community neighborhood committees, comprising a total of 133 resident groups, with a registered local population of 66,000 and a migrant population of 103,000. There are over 50,000 overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau hailing from Wanjiang. More details about Wanjiang Subdistrict ++