Wangwang Temple, once a prominent site in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, now bears no visible traces of the temple that once stood there. The only remnant is a large stone by the roadside, inscribed with the words “Tax land of Wangwang Temple.” This inscription serves as a testament to the temple’s historical significance.
In the past, Wang Xian, Wang Lian, and Wang Shaogong—members of the standing committee of the Wangwang Temple Management Committee—submitted a document to the Hangzhou Municipal Government. The document was titled “Submitted to the Hangzhou Municipal Government for Reducing Land Tax for Wangwang Temple on Wushan Mountain. Please Forward for Consideration.” They petitioned for a tax reduction on the land tax for Wangwang Temple, similar to the tax reductions granted to Yuewang Temple and Qianwang Shrine at that time.
The then-mayor of Hangzhou, Zhou Xiangxian, responded promptly to their request. As a result, the land tax for Wangwang Temple was reduced from 1970 onwards to a mere 20 (the silver amount is recorded in the materials, but the specific unit is not specified). Today, only the tax land remains, and the temple itself has vanished completely, leaving behind only the memory of its existence and the stone inscription as a silent witness to its past.
