Temple of Five Lords, Memorial shrine in Haikou, China
The Temple of Five Lords is a memorial complex of red wooden halls, pavilions and gardens southeast of Haikou, near the Qiongshan border. Its main building, the Five Lords Ancestral Hall, is a two-storey red wooden structure over 9 metres tall with 560 square metres of floor space; a board above the upper entrance calls it the "first building in Hainan". The grounds also hold the Sugong Ancestral Hall, the Ancestral Hall of the Two Fubo Generals, the Dongzhuo and Suquan pavilions, the Xixin Hall and the Youxian Cave.
The earliest buildings of the complex were erected during the reign of the Wanli Emperor (1572–1620) of the Ming dynasty. In 1889, during the reign of the Qing Guangxu Emperor, the Hainan First Building was built by the Leiqiong circuit intendant Zhu Cai to honour the five exiled officials, and the name was later applied to the whole group of halls. Minor repairs followed in later years.
The name "Five Lords" refers to the five exiled Tang and Song officials honoured here, each represented by a stone statue on the grounds. The complex also keeps the Su Gong Shrine, where Su Shi is remembered after his 1097 banishment to Qiongzhou; he is credited with directing locals to two springs, later named Fusu Spring, with the Dongzhuo Pavilion built over the water.
The complex lies about 5 km southeast of Haikou's city centre, near the boundary with Qiongshan District, on Haifu Road. Enter from the east side and work through the halls in sequence: the Five Lords Hall, then Sugong Temple to its southeast, then the exhibition hall across the arched bridge past the lake islet. Allow time for the grounds, which cover roughly 66,000 square metres.
Two natural springs near the temple were created by Su Dongpo, an exiled poet, to help local residents obtain water. These springs remain as evidence of his practical contributions during his time on the island.
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