The Temple of the Three Officials

　　The Temple of the Three Officials (commonly known as the Temple of the Three Realms) is situated on Yujiding Hill in Shanping Village, Chiling She Ethnic Township within the county. The deities worshipped here are known as the “Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water” (also called the “Three Realms Lords”), and the site is a county-level key cultural relic. A county road runs past the front of the temple, which lies about 50 kilometers from the county seat. The altar has no temple building or statues; instead, a single open-air altar is used for regular worship, continuing an ancient form of nature worship among local people. Originally built during the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1430), the temple was later renovated during the Qing Dynasty. Today, eight stone steles remain, dating back over 560 years. It has long been jointly maintained by villagers surnamed Wang from Guanxun and those surnamed Lan from Chiling, forming a unique local folk custom.

　　In recent years, an octagonal pavilion has been built next to the altar, and a new temple has been erected at the back of the slope, enshrining newly added statues of the Three Officials and Ma Ren, a meritorious general from the Tang Dynasty who helped pacify Zhangzhou. The temple complex covers nearly 60 acres and includes structures such as a comprehensive management office, a theater stage, and a visitor rest area. The temple has always enjoyed flourishing incense offerings and a constant stream of pilgrims. Major worship days occur during the first lunar month of the years of Yin, Si, Shen, and Hai, when hundreds of people carry elaborately decorated “palanquins” and performers in extraordinary costumes, along with lion dances, dragon dances, cart-drum performances, stilt walking, and other troupes, parading through the area while grand worship ceremonies are held. The temple fair can attract tens of thousands of visitors. Devotees of the Temple of the Three Officials come not only from all over the county but also from Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Longyan, as well as from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. With its long history and distinctive folk traditions, the temple is truly unique in southern Fujian, showcasing the region’s rich cultural character.