The Five Immortals Temple and the First Tower of Lingnan

The Five Immortals Temple and the First Tower of Lingnan

The Five Immortals Temple and the First Tower of Lingnan are both National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units and patriotic education bases.

The Five Immortals Temple is located on Huifu West Road in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. The current temple was built in the seventh year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1337), serving as a granary god temple dedicated to the worship of the Five Immortals. This Taoist temple faces south, and above its entrance hangs a large plaque inscribed with the four Chinese characters “Five Immortals Ancient Temple,” written by a Qing Dynasty figure.

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple is built against a hillside and currently retains structures including the front gate, rear hall, east wing room, and west wing room. It features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with green glazed tiles, with its wooden framework well-preserved and exquisitely crafted. On a exposed red sandstone block on the eastern side of the rear hall, there is a large depression resembling a footprint, which ancient people believed to be the “immortal’s thumbprint” and thus protected as an important relic. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, this site was listed among the Eight Scenic Spots of Yangcheng under the names “Grain Stone Cave Heaven” and “Five Immortals Grotto.”

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple has been repeatedly built and destroyed throughout history, and its current location has also undergone many changes. Historical records indicate that during the Northern Song Dynasty, a temple dedicated to the worship of the Five Immortals already existed in Guangzhou; during the Jiading era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1208–1224), the temple was relocated to the banks of Yuye Pool in West Lake—near present-day West Lake Road—and was called the Fengzhen Temple; in the late Southern Song Dynasty, it was moved again to present-day Guangren Road; in the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368), the Five Immortals Temple was destroyed in a great fire; it was not until the tenth year of Hongwu (1377) that it was finally rebuilt at its current location on Poshan Lane, Huifu West Road, with Zhao Sijian, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guangdong, overseeing its construction.

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

During the Ming and Qing periods, the Five Immortals Temple was quite grand and magnificent in scale, with as many as a dozen halls. Original structures included a screen wall, memorial archway, mountain gate, central hall, rear hall, along with side structures such as the east and west wing rooms, the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, corridors, and side rooms. The screen wall, memorial archway, central hall, Hall of the Three Pure Ones, and corridors have all been lost, leaving only parts of the original architecture for visitors to see, such as the ceremonial gate, rear hall, east wing room, west wing room, and the “First Tower of Lingnan.”

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

The Five Immortals Temple

Scenic Spot Address: No. 233, Huifu West Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Transportation: Take bus routes 3, 6, 66, 74, 82, 124, 217, 227, or 541 in Guangzhou City and get off at Huifu West Road Station.

Type: Historic Site / Museum / Taoist Temple

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 020-83323508

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00; closed on Mondays.

Ticket Information: Free admission.

Guangta Subdistrict: 2013 Administrative Division Adjustment: New Guangta Subdistrict

ShiShu Subdistrict + Daxin Subdistrict (areas north of Dade Road including Qingfuli, Xiangya North, and Kuixiang Communities) + Guangta Subdistrict

Office Address: No. 26, Yuntaili, Jiefang Middle Road (former site of the Guangta Subdistrict Office)

Guangta Subdistrict is an administrative subdistrict under Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, located in the central part of Yuexiu District. It was formed in July 1999 during the adjustment of subdistrict administrative boundaries in Yuexiu District by merging the former Guangta Subdistrict and Jiefang Middle Subdistrict. The total area of the subdistrict is 0.44 square kilometers, and it lies to the east... More detailed information about Guangta Subdistrict++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Units