Water Moon Palace

　　Originally built as a Guanyin Hall during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522–1566), the structure suffered repeated damage from wind and rain. Thanks to the support of both officials and local residents who were “eager to contribute,” it was expanded and elevated in the winter of 1574, the second year of the Wanli reign.

　　Legend has it that Guanyin can manifest in 32 different forms, among which the “Water Moon” form is considered the most sublime—hence the name “Water Moon Palace.” However, the palace was damaged again by storms after its completion. In the ninth year of the Chongzhen reign (1636), the Viceroy of Liangguang, Xiong Wencan, funded its reconstruction with over 100,000 taels of silver. In 1943, the palace was bombed and destroyed by Japanese forces. It was rebuilt to its original design in 1957.

　　Covering an area of 6,000 square meters with a floor space of 2,500 square meters, Water Moon Palace is a reinforced concrete structure designed in traditional Chinese architectural style. It consists of four parts: the main hall, east wing, west wing, and rear hall. The main hall features upturned eaves, colorful glazed tiles, and a magnificent, resplendent appearance; the east and west wings are exquisitely simple, spacious, and bright, connected by corridors; the rear hall is a two-story pavilion built on a high platform against the rock face, highlighting its grandeur and majesty.

　　The main hall of Water Moon Palace once housed a golden statue of the goddess Marici (6 meters tall) accompanied by two attendant goddesses (5 meters tall), all standing barefoot and imposing. Marici gazes slightly downward with a gentle, kind smile, above which hangs the plaque “Compassionate Ark Amidst the Sea of Suffering.” The statues were cast in 1636, the ninth year of the Chongzhen reign, to commemorate Zheng Zhilong’s victory over Liu Xiang, believed to be under the protection of Marici. Unfortunately, the original statues were completely destroyed in flames during the Cultural Revolution. The current statues of Marici and her two attendants are replicas cast in 1986.

　　Water Moon Palace is enclosed by red walls. In front of the main hall inside the wall lies a courtyard-style garden, blooming with colorful flowers all year round; outside the wall, six century-old banyan trees stand in front of the main gate, with twisted roots and lush foliage.

Water Moon Palace