Xishan Temple

Xishan Temple is located at the eastern foot of Fengshan in Daliang, Shunde District, Foshan City. Originally named Guandi Temple, it was founded in the 20th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty and completed in the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign. The entire temple is built against the mountain and has undergone multiple renovations and expansions. It now presents the layout from the renovations during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. The front part consists of the main gate and the front hall, which are connected. The facade is in the style of a que gate with three parallel doors, tall and spacious. On both sides of the que gate are the left and right corridor gates, which originally had a broad path leading to the back mountain. The rear part is the main hall, standing atop dozens of wide stone steps. Inside and outside the temple, there are many brick carvings, plaster sculptures, murals, and colored ceramic statues. Xishan Temple faces northeast and is built in the style of a Qing Dynasty quadrangle compound, comprising the mountain gate, front hall, main hall, side halls, courtyard steps, incense pavilion, and covered corridors. The ceramic ridge tiles, wall-top plaster sculptures, wall eaves murals, stone carvings, and wood carvings of Xishan Temple are distinctive features. The ceramic ridge tiles are artistically shaped, with a relatively high proportion of ridge decorations. The ridge decorations 'depict stories from Guangluo operas, encompass local scenery, and present a dazzling array of beauty that is too much to take in at once.' The stone carvings of Xishan Temple represent the style of southern stone carving. The stone lions on both sides of the mountain gate are made of fine-textured beige granite, and their round and vigorous lines convey a majestic yet adorable demeanor. The Chaozhou gold-lacquered wood carvings in Xishan Temple are exquisitely crafted, magnificent, and vividly depict scenes. The overall integrity of the gold-lacquered wood carvings, such as the ancient city assembly and the sealing of gold seals, is strong, with grand scenes and lifelike character models, making them rare and exquisite treasures.