Xiandu Temple, also known as Zhao Hou Temple, Zhao Hou Shrine, and Wushang Hou Temple, is one of the ancient temples in Xian Du of Jinyun. The temple is dedicated to Zhao Bing. Zhao Bing (1008 – ?), a Han Dynasty figure, was proficient in magic and revered simplicity and cleanliness. He used water flowing eastward for sacrifices, stripped mulberry bark for offerings, transformed clear water into fine wine, and with a single stroke of a knife, turned an object into cooked meat. By filling a basin with clear water, one could see dragons and fish. During his travels in Jinhua and Jinyun, the area suffered from war and plague, and Zhao Bing healed many people. In his honor, the locals built a temple for him. After learning of this, the Han emperor posthumously granted Zhao Bing the titles of Grand General and Wushang Hou. Wushang Hou is due to the fact that Xian Du in Jinyun belonged to Wushang County at the time. In the Zhaoyin Cave and the Divine Physician Cave, stone statues of eight divine physicians from ancient times to the present are enshrined, blessing people with safety, health, and happiness.
Qinglong Rock: At the entrance of Zhao Hou Temple, there is a giant rock shaped like a dragon’s mouth, known as Qinglong Rock, facing the Fat Belly Rock across the road. On the west side of the rock is the Ladder Cloud Cave, the site of the ancient Changting from the Qin and Han dynasties and a necessary path from Taizhou to Jinhua. On the east side of the rock are the Shennong Cave and the Zhaoyin Cave. Look, the dragon’s head, eyes, nose, and mouth with mist intertwined, very lifelike. The ancients believed in gods, and when they came here, they would throw coins to divine auspicious signs. One throw hit is great fortune, two throws hit is wealth, and three throws hit is safety.
Swan Incubating Eggs: Opposite the Zhaoyin Cave, there is a valley with a dragon-like body coiled around, and at the entrance of the valley, there are many huge boulders. If you look into the valley from Zhao Hou’s boat, the upper part of this pile of rocks resembles a swan; the lower stones are smaller, shaped like bird eggs. People, by their shape, named it Swan Incubating Eggs. If you enter the valley and stand under the rocks, these huge round egg stones, some have cracked, seemingly cut by swords, so people call it Xianpo Rock or Melon Cutting Rock. This place is also a cave with three sides ventilated, warm in winter and cool in summer, especially in the hot summer, the temperature difference between inside and outside is nearly 10 degrees, making it an excellent place to escape the heat.
Movies and TV series such as ‘Two Patrol Soldiers’, ‘Moya Dai’, ‘Lianxin Dam’, ‘The Book and the Sword’, and ‘Ne Zha’ have all been filmed here. The opening hours are from 08:00 to 17:00 all year round.
