Yangming Shrine

　　Tour routes: Take bus routes 6, 11, 32, 44, 64 to Yangming Shrine Station

　　Introduction: Yangming Shrine is located at the foot of Fufeng Mountain in eastern Guiyang. It was first built in the 19th year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1814), established to commemorate Wang Shouren (1472–1528), a philosopher and educator of the Ming Dynasty. The shrine has undergone several renovations over the years and is now a cultural relic protection unit at both the provincial and municipal levels. It features a traditional quadrangle layout, with the main structure being the Hall of Worship.

　　The main hall of Yangming Shrine (the Grand Hall) is fronted by the “Hall of Righteous Qi” and the “Osmanthus Hall,” which are connected to the side corridors. In the center of the main hall stands a white marble seated statue of Mr. Wang Yangming. The shrine complex is characterized by interconnected halls and corridors, lush greenery, a serene and pleasant atmosphere, as well as numerous poetic inscriptions and stone carvings. It houses a rich collection of cultural relics that attract many visitors. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance, the shrine was occupied by military agencies and other organizations, leading to long-term neglect and disrepair. During the Cultural Revolution, it suffered unprecedented damage—the buildings were dilapidated and all stone inscriptions were destroyed. In the late 1980s, the Guiyang Municipal Government undertook restoration efforts. Based on old rubbings, the Guizhou-born artist Xie Xiaosi, who was residing in Gusu (Suzhou), hired master stone engravers to replicate the inscriptions one by one. Thus, these historic relics, over a hundred years old, were revitalized.

　　Admission: 3 RMB

　　Wang Shouren (1472~1529)　　Wang Shouren (1472–1529) was a Chinese philosopher of the Ming Dynasty and the culminating figure of the School of Mind (Xinxue), a form of idealist philosophy. His courtesy name was Boyan and his pseudonym was Yangming. He was a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang. A renowned thinker, writer, philosopher, and military strategist of the Ming era, he was the synthesizer of the Lu-Wang School of Mind, with profound knowledge of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Wang Shouren is often mentioned alongside Confucius, Mencius, and Zhu Xi as one of the four great sages: Kong, Meng, Zhu, and Wang. His philosophical doctrine, known as Wangxue or Yangmingism, was the most influential school of thought during the Ming Dynasty. His academic ideas spread across China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia. He achieved distinction both in moral character and scholarly thought, surpassing all others of the Ming era. He had numerous disciples and founded what came to be known as the Yaojiang School. His writings are broad and... More+