History and Culture of Huangling Temple

History and Culture of Huangling Temple - Mountain Gate

The Mountain Gate of Huangling Temple got its name since it looks like the Chinese character "Mountain". The existing Mountain Gate was built in the 12th year (1886) of Emperor Guangxu Period of Qing Dynasty. Paintings on the gate have particular meanings. The blue painting in the middle of the gate is called Two Phoenixes Worship the Sun; it located upon the golden Two Dragons Playing with Pearl. People would wonder that why the phoenix is above the dragon. That is because Empress Dowager Cixi attended to state affairs during Emperor Guangxu's Reign.

There is a pair of couplet on the gate which recorded travelers and officers passed here would come to worship Emperor Yu for a safe trip and those kind people donated money for the renovation of the temple. There are incenses in the temple for visitors to bless for peace. The Sacred Beasts in front of the gate. The beast has head of dragon (symbolize the Chinese nation), horns of deer (symbolize auspiciousness), body of fish (symbolize ability in swimming), back of lion (symbolize strong and brave) and feet of ox (symbolize the God Yellow Ox).

History and Culture of Huangling Temple – Emperor Yu Temple

Emperor Yu Temple is the main architecture of Huangling Temple. It is the biggest phoebe-structured architecture in China. It is a typical architecture of Ming Dynasty with red wall, gold roof and upturned roof-ridges.

There is a simulated statue of Da Yu in Emperor Yu Temple. The original statue was rushed away by flood in 1870 and was salvaged by local people in Xiba. They built a new Huangling Temple at Xiba. The real Huangling Temple here was named Old Huangling Temple. There is a bluestone said to be the stone where people knelt in adoration of Emperor Yu.