He Xian Gu’s Ancestral Temple is a key cultural relic protection unit in Guangzhou. It is located in He Xian Gu tourist scenic area, Xiaolouxu, Xiaolou Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou. It was built in the Tang Dynasty. After going through vicissitudes and wars, it has been repaired many times. In the Ming Dynasty, it was renovated on a large scale. In 1858, the eighth year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt.
The ancestral temple is of brick and stone platform-beam structure. The first and third entrances have 13 bays with front corridors and are closed gable walls. The second entrance has four columns and one bay with a five-bay worship pavilion with a hard mountain top. Its main ridge and vertical ridges are all decorated with upturned ends. The interior and exterior decorations of the temple are mainly wood carvings, lime carvings and brick carvings. The eaves boards are covered with flower, bird, opera characters and the craftsmanship is exquisite and beautiful. Please note that the official script lintel engraved on the stone gate on the front of the temple: ‘He Xian Gu’s Ancestral Temple’ was written by Huang Peifang in Jia Ping, Wu Wu, the eighth year of Xianfeng. The stone couplet engraved in running script on the mountain gate: ‘A thousand years of embroidered shoes left at the red well, a hundred generations of people pay homage to the ancient temple’. It was written by Wang Yingdou, an official at that time. In the first line, the words ‘shoes’ and ’embroidered shoes’ both refer to embroidered shoes. It means the story that He Xian Gu threw herself into the well a thousand years ago and her embroidered shoes were left by the well. The second line reflects the long history of He Xian Gu’s Ancestral Temple and people’s reverence for He Xian Gu. Inside the ancestral temple, there are scenic spots such as Xian Gu Hall, the celestial peach on the top of the temple, Xian Gu Well, San Zhong Temple, and Eight Immortals Hall. Every year, there are two major festivals at the ancestral temple. On the seventh day of the third lunar month, He Xian Gu’s birthday, and in early August, the day when He Xian Gu attained enlightenment. Devotees spontaneously hold grand commemorative activities. The scene is very spectacular. At the request of believers, He Xian Gu’s Ancestral Temple has been rebuilt. It covers an area of 14,000 square meters. A series of supporting scenic spots such as Xian Yuan tablet, ancestral temple square, Eight Immortals Guild Hall, Ma Gu Hall, Yun Mu Creek, and Xian Gu Stele Forest have been added. At present, the ancestral temple and ancestral temple square have been renovated. The opening hours are from 08:30 to 17:30 all year round; and from 08:30 to 17:00 all year round. The specific business status is subject to the opening situation on that day.
