The Qinglong Ancient Temple is located on the south embankment at the west end of the Hanjiang Bridge in Chaozhou. The temple gate faces east. Previously, it was called the Anji Shengwang Temple. According to ‘The Little Dragon of Poyang Lake’ by Shen Cunzhong in the Song Dynasty, the Qinglong Ancient Temple was built in the Northern Song Dynasty. The Anji Lingwang was conferred by Zhao Xu, Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty (ascended the throne in 1068). It is also said that Zhuge Liang conquered the barbarians. Wang Kang, the prefect of Yongchang in the State of Shu Han, defended the city against the bandits and became a deity after his death. In the 17th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1589), Shi Suoxue, the Tongzhi of Coastal Defense in Chaozhou, renovated the Qinglong Ancient Temple to suppress floods and enshrined the statue of Wang Kang and titled him as the Anji Lingwang. Since then, Wang Kang has become the Anji Shengwang. There is another legend: During the Huangyou period of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Yi Zhigao of Guangyuan Prefecture arrogantly called himself the Southern Heavenly King and changed the era name to Jingrui. As Guangyuan is connected to Chaozhou, the rebel army occupied the dangerous places along the mountain stream. Emperor Zhao Zhen sent Yang Wenguang to pacify the eighteen caves of the southern barbarians. When the Song army marched south along the river, a green snake attached to the boat and the journey was smooth. All battles were victorious and all caves were pacified. When the army returned, Yang Wenguang reported to Emperor Renzong of Song. Zhao Zhen then conferred the title of ‘Anji Lingwang’ on the green snake in Chaozhou. Previously, to enter the Qinglong Ancient Temple, one had to go down from the south embankment to the east and enter through the temple gate. The lintel of the gate is ‘Anji Shengmiao’. It may have been bestowed by Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. On both sides are an altar and a stage. Passing through the alley behind the temple and arriving in front of the temple is a semicircular temple courtyard. In front of the ancient temple, there are three gates. The stone plaque on the middle gate is ‘Qinglong Ancient Temple’. The couplet on the gate reads: ‘The boat weaves the splendid scenery in the river like a shuttle; the tower writes the articles in the sky like a pen.’ As both the boat and the Phoenix Tower can be seen in front of the temple, people are deeply impressed and this couplet was written by Zhuo Yanchun, a juren from Huilai (1839 – 1890). The side gates on both sides of the main gate of the temple are smaller. The stone plaques on the gates are engraved with ‘Virtue Promotion’ and ‘Defending the Frontier’ respectively. The small gates also have couplets, but they have been forgotten because they are not as wonderful and practical as those written by Zhuo Yanchun. The statue of the Anji Shengwang in the temple is draped with a yellow embroidered golden dragon robe and wears a crown. The statue is eight feet tall and is carved from hard nanmu. But it is not the small statue brought from Yunnan by Shi Suoxue. That small statue was previously placed in the Xie’s Ancestral Hall in the south gate. It is said that it is still well preserved. The statue of the Shengwang in the temple is much larger than the statues of the First Lady and the Second Lady on both sides to show its might and sacredness. There are also the Immortal Master’s Palace and the Official Hall in the temple. Tip: Usually, the Qinglong Temple is not lively. However, on summer nights, it becomes a good place for people to enjoy the cool. Every year in the first month of the lunar calendar, the Qinglong Temple has a large-scale worship activity. The scene is very spectacular. Especially at night, it maintains a strong Chaozhou folk custom and is worth watching. Opening hours: Open all year round from 8:00 to 20:00.
Qinglong Ancient Temple
The Qinglong Ancient Temple is located on the south embankment at the west end of the Hanjiang Bridg[...]
