Wu Xian Guan(Temple of the Five Immortals)
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Overview
Wu Xian Guan is also known as the Temple of Five Immortals or Celestial Beings. It is a Taoist temple in Guangzhou City in the eastern Guangdong Province in China.
The temple had been built during the tenth year of the reign of Hongwu during the Ming Dynasty for worshipping the five gods or celestial beings which were believed to have descended on Guangzhou City riding rams and holding rice spikes in their hands.
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Introduction
Wu Xian Guan is a Taoist Temple which has been built for commemorating the five immortals. It is a historically important temple in the Guangzhou City. The temple had been built during the tenth year of the reign of Hongwu during the Ming Dynasty for worshipping the five gods or celestial beings which were believed to have descended on Guangzhou City riding rams and holding rice spikes in their hands.
There was a huge recess in the red sandstone shaped like a footprint and it was considered to be the footprint of the celestial being in the older days. However, many believe that strong currents of the Pearl River crashing against its banks had formed the recess. The temple’s site had been close to this river before Jin Dynasty.
History
According to legend, five immortals had once flown towards the city of Guangzhou. Each of them were holding a rice spike in their hands and were riding a ram. Once they arrived, the presented it to the locals and flew away. The goats however were suddenly turned to stone and they stayed there forever.
The late generations then built this immortal temple for commemorating the five immortals and they named it Wu Xian Guan. This was also the reason why Guangzhou received the name Goat City or Yang Cheng. Some Taoists had also cultivated themselves in this temple even before the rule of Song Dynasty. Throughout history, the location of the temple had been moved several times. After Ming Dynasty, the imperial court had carried out many large repairs and refurbishments.
The Background
Wu Xian Guan temple covers an area of around 4600 square meters in the year 1923. At the time, the municipal government of the city gave an order to auction the temple for raising the provisions and pay for the soldiers. Due to this, the temple was purchased by a social community. They then dismissed the Taoists of the temple. The temple’s original site is still under special protection from the city’s municipal government.
The Bronze Bell
The Wu Xian Guan is also home to a large bronze bell weighing around 5000 kg. At the bottom of this bell is a silo which is connected with the opening of the door, forming a large resonator. When the bell rings, even people that are very far away can hear it. The bell has a diameter of 2 meters and height of 3 meters. It is currently the largest bell of its kind in the city.
The First Lingnan Tower
In the Wu Xian Guan complex, the most interesting site is the First Lingnan Tower which is 17.5 meters in height. Visitors can climb this tower to see the bronze bell which was cast in the year 1378. The preserved footprints can be found on the east of the Wu Xian Guan temple. These are the footprints of the immortals.
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