Wong Tai Sin Temple, Taoist temple in Liwan District, Guangzhou, China.
Wong Tai Sin Temple is a Taoist shrine in Guangzhou's Liwan District featuring a large complex with multiple structures arranged in a traditional layout. The site contains numerous halls decorated with paintings, carvings, and ornamental details that reflect religious practice.
This shrine was established in 1899 and reflects the period when Taoism flourished in Guangzhou. Major restoration work in the 1990s brought the structures back to a working condition for worshippers and visitors.
The temple's name honours Huang Chuping, the shepherd of Zhejiang who became the Red Pine Immortal; his birthday falls on the 23rd of the eighth lunar month. The main hall holds plaques said to be over 2,200 years old, among the oldest preserved wood in the world. Mango trees planted by a former abbot, some over a century old, fruit each June.
Visitors can enter the temple during daylight hours, with most activity happening in the morning when the atmosphere is quieter. Wear comfortable shoes, as the grounds have uneven terrain and several stairs connect the different halls.
The dragon pearl on the main hall's roof weighs over 1,000 kilograms. Twelve giant pillars support the 22-metre hall with no columns inside, so it can hold 3,000 people at once. Plaques in the main shrine, Guanyin Hall and Lüzu Hall are more than 2,200 years old.
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