Fubo Temple

　　Leizhou Fubo Temple has endured nearly two thousand years of history, with multiple restorations over various dynasties, yet it still preserves the appearance of its original site and the basic structure from the repairs made during the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era 300 years ago. It reflects the Han Dynasty court's two critical military campaigns against separatist forces to uphold national unity, as well as its major decisions to consolidate border areas, demonstrating the strategic military importance of ancient Leizhou as the “Heavily Guarded Land in the Far South.”

　　“The southernmost prefecture by the sea, where the Han-era Fubo Generals once stood guard”—this is a line from a poem written by the renowned late-Ming scholar Qu Dajun after visiting Leizhou Fubo Temple. Also known as Fubo Shrine, Leizhou Fubo Temple is located on Nanting Street in Leicheng. Established during the Eastern Han Dynasty, it is one of the oldest temples in Lingnan and is a protected cultural relic site of Leizhou City. The temple enshrines two Fubo Generals: the Western Han’s Marquis of Duyu, Lu Bode, and the Eastern Han’s Marquis of Xinxi, Ma Yuan.

　　During the Qin Dynasty, Leizhou was part of Xiang Commandery. In the chaos following the fall of the Qin, Zhao Tuo, the magistrate of Longxi in Nanhai Commandery, declared himself King of Nanyue, taking control of the regions of Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiang. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Zhao Tuo submitted to Han rule. In April of the fifth year of Emperor Wu of Han’s Yuanding era (112 BCE), the Prime Minister of Nanyue, Lü Jia, staged a rebellion, assassinated King Zhao Xing of Nanyue, killed the Han emissary Zhong Jun and General Han Qianqiu, and enthroned Zhao Jianwei as king, establishing a breakaway regime. Emperor Wu Liu Che then appointed Lu Bode, the Marquis of Duyu, as Fubo General to lead a campaign against the rebels. Lu Bode led his troops through Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong, and Guangxi, uniting forces at Panyu. A master strategist who combined authority with benevolence, he “secured all of Yue without spilling blood,” and then “watered his horses in the Lian River and burned his boats at Qiongshan.” He marched directly toward Hainan Island. To reassure the populace, he burned some warships, signaling that no further military action would be taken once the rebellion was quelled, allowing the people to live in peace. As Lu Bode’s army moved south through Leizhou, they set up camps in Wule Shui of Suixi County and Jiangjun Xu of Haikang County—places that were thus named. Given that Leizhou lay along the essential route for both the southward and northward movements of the army, a local folk rhyme says: “When the general comes down, when the general goes up, three hundred lads set off firecrackers”—describing how youths enthusiastically celebrated the army’s passage with firecrackers. Later, Lu Bode divided the Nanyue territories into nine commanderies: Nanhai, Hepu, Zhuya, Dan’er, Cangwu, Guilin, Jiuzhen, Rinan, and Jiaozhi. At that time, Leizhou was part of Hepu Commandery.

　　In the 16th year of the Jianwu era during the Eastern Han Dynasty (40 CE), the leaders of Jiaozhi Commandery (modern-day Vietnam), Zhao Tuo’s successors, the Trưng Sisters (Zheng Ce and Zheng Er), rebelled, occupying 65 cities across Jiuzhen, Rinan, and Hepu (including the Leizhou Peninsula). Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, ordered Ma Yuan to lead a southern campaign against Jiaozhi and bestowed upon him the title of Fubo General (the title “Fubo,” meaning “wave-subduing,” was traditionally used for commanders of naval battles. Additionally, since Lu Bode had been titled Fubo General for his successful campaign against Nanyue during the Western Han, reviving the title also carried the implication of “emulating past glories and inspiring awe”). Duan Zhi was appointed General of the Tall Ships, and together they marched on Jiaozhi. When the Han forces reached Hepu, Duan Zhi fell ill and died, leaving Ma Yuan to take command of his troops as well. When Ma Yuan’s forces reached Maliu Village on the western coast of Haikang County by the Beibu Gulf, he wrote letters to his nephews Yan and Dun, advising them on how to conduct themselves (a stone stele inscribed with this letter, housed in the temple, dates back to the early Qing Dynasty and was written by Xu Fei, the Right Camp Commandant of Leizhou). The late-Ming poet Qu Dajun also referenced this in his poem “Leiyang Qu”: “The descendants of Ma Liu remain, Jiaozhi flies the banners in their honor.” Ma Yuan advanced along the coast with both land and naval forces. The conditions were extremely harsh—there were no roads along the shore, so soldiers had to cut their own path through. The climate was unforgiving, the weather torrid, and miasmic fog pervasive. Legend has it that even an eagle flying overhead succumbed to the heat and fell into the sea. Historical records state: “Mist above, floods below, eagles falling from the sky,” and “carving paths through a thousand li, fighting bitter battles as we advanced.” Ma Yuan ultimately quelled the rebellion through his seasoned military leadership.

　　These two Fubo Generals, having fought for national unity and to suppress rebellion, created an environment of peace and prosperity, leaving behind legacies recorded in history and bringing blessings to Leizhou. Deeply grateful, the people of Leizhou erected monuments in their honor, ensuring their fame endures for generations.

　　Built against a hill and facing south, Fubo Temple has three sections: the main gate, central hall, and main shrine, all aligned along a central axis. Twelve steps and a platform lead up to the temple gate. The towering gate stands prominently, exuding grandeur and majesty. The plaque above the gate, inscribed with the three characters “Fubo Men” (Fubo Gate) in bold, forceful clerical script, was rewritten by Liu Bingsen, Vice Chairman of the China Calligraphers Association and a renowned calligrapher. The stone couplet: “Assisting Han from east to west, their famed exploits resound; ascending the altar time and again, their legacy echoes across the hills and seas,” was composed and inscribed by Wu Yingshuan, a military official from the county during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty.

　　Upon entering the main gate, there is a courtyard flanked by an ancient stele corridor featuring inscriptions from renovations and poems dating to the Ming and Qing periods. Ascending another five steps leads to the central hall, which houses a newer stele corridor. Lost poetic steles have been replaced, and modern inscriptions by notable figures have been engraved. The content of these inscriptions is rich and profound—so much so that in the 1960s, Tian Han, then Chairman of the National Drama Association and a famous dramatist, found himself mesmerized, repeatedly admiring them and lingering without wanting to leave.

　　From the central hall, a small inner courtyard leads into the main shrine. The main shrine features a flush-gable roof, with three bays in both width and depth, and a mixed beam structure of raised beams and through-tenons. Its octagonal stone pillars retain the architectural style of the early Qing Dynasty. At the center of the main shrine is a finely carved wooden statue, gilded and resplendent, enshrining the two Fubo Generals who led armies into Lingnan during the Han Dynasty and achieved remarkable feats: Lu Bode on the left, and Ma Yuan on the right. The surrounding walls under the beams of the temple’s gate, central hall, and main shrine are adorned with murals depicting landscapes, flowers, birds, figures, and stories—an impressive showcase of the artistry of Leizhou’s local stucco craftsmen.

　　Both Fubo Generals were honored by successive dynasties with numerous imperial titles. In the Stele Corridor’s second section, one can see that Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty posthumously titled Lu Bode as the “Loyal and Heroic King” during the Zhenghe era. In the second year of Xuanhe (1120 CE), Ma Yuan was titled the “Loyal and Manifest King Who Brings Harmony.” One of the imperial edicts states: “The Loyal and Manifest King of Leizhou... whose merits warrant veneration; his benevolence extended across ten thousand li, his legacy remains; worshipped in temples for a thousand years, his heroic spirit still fierce.” This edict from an 800-year-old Southern Song emperor refers to the thousand-year-old temple and speaks highly of it—highlighting its deep historical roots and great cultural value.

　　The temple preserves over 20 precious cultural relics, including Ming and Qing poetic steles, renovation inscriptions, and other ancient engravings. The “Record of Renovating Fubo Temple” from the second year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty (1622) by Xing Zhichang, along with the poetic stele of Jiajing-era Leizhou Prefect Dai Jia’ou, serve as historical testimonies of the Ming-era Fubo Temple. The “Record of Rebuilding Fubo Temple” from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty documents how in the 20th year of Kangxi (1681), Xu Fei, the Right Camp Commandant of Leizhou Prefecture (from Menghua in western Yunnan), and Ma Shenglin, a descendant of Ma Yuan and then Leizhou Prefect, rebuilt the temple on the site of the Ming-era Fubo Temple. The gate plaque “Er Fubo Miao” (Temple of the Two Fubo Generals), written by Xu Fei, is also preserved.

　　Revered across generations, the two generals inspired many distinguished visitors to compose poetry in their honor. Ming-era official Cheng Xian of the Leiqiong Circuit wrote in his poem “Visiting the Two Fubo Temples”: “Both heroes in succession received lofty titles, their hearts devoted to the nation in perfect unison; while alive they crushed enemies of Han, today the south praises their dual loyalty.” (Leizhou was formerly called Nantai Prefecture.) Jiajing-era Leizhou Prefect Dai Jia’ou wrote in his poem “Visiting Fubo Temple”: “Ancient temple by the city wall veiled in mist and cloud, gazing up at valor, past and present in view; from here the mountains and rivers of Yue found peace, Han culture passed down through the ages.” (This poem stele is located in the first stele corridor.) These verses all praise the unwavering loyalty and dedication of the two Fubo Generals in safeguarding national unity.

　　Hong Weizhu, a Hanlin academician from the Qing Kangxi era, wrote in his poem “Fubo Temple Poem”: “Loyal heart shining bright upon the waves, his feats high as the southern annals never erred… whenever past deeds are recalled, the resolve of those ancient sages stays strong.” (The stele is in the... section.) Li Jinxi, another Hanlin academician, wrote a poem about Ma Fubo Temple, including the lines: “The general defies old age, testing his vigor before the hall” and “A horsehide should wrap his corpse, his ambition soars even at Tubo Head.” Many poems mention “venerable vigor” and “wrapped in horsehide”—what does this mean? According to the Book of the Later Han, after suppressing the rebellion in Jiaozhi, Ma Yuan was granted the title of Newxi Marquis. Instead of becoming arrogant, he remained concerned for the country and its people, often telling friends: “A man should die on the battlefield, wrapped in a horsehide and returned home for burial.” In the 24th year of Jianwu (48 CE), when the Wuxi barbarians of Wuling rose in revolt, Ma Yuan, already 62 years old, volunteered for battle. The emperor, sympathetic to his age, initially refused. Ma Yuan, embodying the saying “the older, the more vigorous,” asked to demonstrate his strength before the hall. The emperor, impressed, praised him: “How valiant this old man is!” and approved his deployment. Ma Yuan later died on the battlefield, fulfilling his wish to be “wrapped in horsehide.”

　　In 1992, senior experts from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Luo Zhewen, and the Ministry of Construction, Zheng Xiaoying, visited Leizhou Fubo Temple and inscribed the words “Waves of the South Sea Calm, China Unified” (now embedded in the wall of the second section). In the northwest corner of the temple lies “Ma’s Running Spring” (commonly called Horse Hoof Well). Legend says it was formed when Ma Yuan’s warhorses dug the ground with their hooves, hence the name. There are two wells, symbolizing horse hooves. Stone railings surround the well, with the inscription “Ma’s Running Spring” carved in the center. Behind the well is a stone pavilion inscribed with the four characters “Shen Quan Sheng Ji” (Sacred Spring and Scenic Site). A matching couplet reads: “When the bronze pillar stood, the year was long past; where the sweating steed ran, its tracks stay fresh.” Inside the pavilion is an essay titled “Record of the Fubo Well Pavilion” written by Chen Tengyou, a county magistrate from the Qianlong era. The late-Ming poet Qu Dajun also referred to this well in his poem “Leiyang Qu”: “By the creek of Nan Ting, before the two bridges, coconut leaves cast shade into the evening mist; the barbarian girls joyfully pick jasmine, drawing water from Fubo Spring under the moonlight”—referring to this very well (nearby are Nan Ting Creek and the two bridges).

　　The temple was renovated in 1987 with funds raised by the public totaling several hundred thousand yuan, and it now presents a completely renewed appearance. Visitors from both China and abroad flock here in unending streams.

　　(No images available at the moment; contributions are welcome.)