Heshanggu Scenic Area

Heshanggu Scenic Area

Heshanggu Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Heshanggu Ancestral Temple is a key cultural relic protection unit of Zengcheng City. It has been rated as one of the New Eight Scenic Spots, named "Fairy Source of Xiaolou."

Legend says that Heshanggu, one of the Eight Immortals, was surnamed He and given the name Qiong. She was a native of Xiaolou in Zengcheng, and the ancestral temple was built to worship her.

The temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty and underwent renovation in the eighth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1858).

The ancestral temple has a brick-and-stone bracket-and-beam structure. The first and third sections feature 13-bay structures extending with front corridors and enclosed fire walls, while the second section includes a four-pillared, five-bay worship pavilion with a flush-gable roof. The main hall houses a camphor wood sculpture of Heshanggu, and the left wall features a relief carving of the Eight Immortals. On the right side, there is a skywell known as the "Fairy Well."

On the tiled ridge on the right side of the temple’s main hall, there is a peach tree known as the "Fairy Peach."

The Heshanggu Ancestral Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty. Having endured centuries of turmoil and wars, it underwent major renovations in the Ming Dynasty and was restored again in the eighth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty. The five large official script characters “何仙姑家庙” (Heshanggu Ancestral Temple) on the temple’s gate were inscribed by Huang Peifang in the Xuya year of the Xianfeng reign. The couplet on both sides of the gate, written in running script — “千年履舄遗丹井，百代衣冠拜古祠” (For a thousand years, sacred footprints linger at the fairy well; for centuries, generations pay homage at this ancient shrine) — was penned by the imperial historian Wang Yingdou.

The ancestral temple has a brick-and-stone bracket-and-beam structure, with flush-gable roof ridges and enclosed firewalls. Its interior and exterior are decorated mainly with wood carvings, stucco reliefs, and brick carvings. The upturned eaves and brackets are adorned with intricate carvings of flowers, birds, and opera figures, all exquisitely crafted. Inside the temple, there are attractions such as the Fairy Hall, the Fairy Peach on the rooftop, the Fairy Well, the Three Loyalists Hall, and the Eight Immortals Hall. The temple celebrates two major festivals: the annual Fairy Birthday on the seventh day of the third lunar month and the Fairy Ascension Day on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month. Devotees spontaneously hold grand commemorative events, drawing massive crowds and creating spectacular scenes.

In response to devotees’ requests, the Heshanggu Ancestral Temple is currently undergoing renovation, and the renovation plan has passed expert review.

The renovated Heshanggu Ancestral Temple will cover an area of 14,000 square meters, with additional supporting attractions including the Fairy Source Archway, the Ancestral Temple Square, the Eight Immortals Hall, the Magu Hall, the Mica Stream, and the Fairy Stele Forest.