There is a folk song in Cangzhou: ‘One literary figure, one martial figure, one national treasure, and one ancestor of humanity.’ The literary figure refers to Ji Xiaolan, a great literary master of his time. The martial figure indicates that Cangzhou is a famous martial arts town at home and abroad. The national treasure is the Iron Lion of Cangzhou. The ancestor of humanity is Pangu. The Pangu ruins are located in Qingxian County under the jurisdiction of Cangzhou City. Six kilometers south of Qingxian County Seat, there is a village called ‘Dapangu’. There is a Pangu Temple to the west of the village. Dapangu is located on the west bank of the Heilonggang River (the old course of the Yellow River). To its south is the village of Xiaopangu. Both villages are named after the legend that Pangu settled here. The Pangu Temple was first built in the 15th year of Zhiyuan period of Kublai Khan, the Yuan emperor. It was renovated in the Ming Dynasty. In 1688 due to river erosion, it was rebuilt to the southwest of the autumn ancestral temple. According to records, the Pangu Temple in those days resembled the three main halls of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was made of stone, brick and wood, with glazed tiles capping the roof. It was magnificent and splendid. The front hall is 36 feet high, symbolizing 360 days in a year. There are 18 steps, corresponding to the 18 levels of hell. There are 108 eaves rafters, arranged according to 36 heavenly generals and 72 earthly fiends. There is a copper bell tied to the end of each rafter, placed according to the five musical notes of gong, shang, jiao, zhi, and yu. There is a saying that ‘When the wind shakes the bells, the heaven is filled with music. When the light shines on the roof of the hall, the earth is glorious.’ Inside the hall, there is an iron statue of Pangu coated with gold, wearing leaves and holding the sun and the moon in his hands. It is one丈 and eight inches high. In the middle hall, there is a statue of Avalokitesvara of the South China Sea sitting on a lotus pedestal, with a boy and a girl attendant on both sides. In the back hall, there are three statues of Laozi, Confucius, and the Dragon King. In front of the hall, there are two silk trees as thick as two people can embrace. Behind the hall, an iron chime is hung on an old locust tree.
Opening hours: Open from 08:30 to 17:30 all year round. The specific business status is subject to the opening situation on that day.Pangu Temple
There is a folk song in Cangzhou: ‘One literary figure, one martial figure, one national treasure, and one ancestor of […]
