Pingshan Sangu Temple: Exploring the stories of the local deities in Southern Anhui

This is about the millennium-old village of Pingshan Village, the second chapter of a trilogy. The village currently preserves nearly 300 ancient Ming and Qing buildings, with 3 national protected units, offering a wealth of attractions. The previous article detailed the Shu Family Ancestral Hall, and this one will talk about another national protected unit in Pingshan—Xianji Temple. ⭐Sangu Legend The legend of Pingshan Sangu can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty. It is said that the three daughters of Shu Jun, the governor of Danyang during the Western Han Dynasty, turned into three mountain peaks due to the use of red peaches. Their mother, overwhelmed by grief, also transformed into a mountain peak, known as 'Crying Peak'. The story reached the imperial court, and the emperor decreed the three daughters as 'Three Holy Dragon Maidens' and built a temple to worship them, known as 'Sangu Temple'. ⭐Historical Establishment The current Sangu Temple was originally built in the year 11147 of the Southern Song Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty personally inscribed the temple plaque with the words 'Xianji'. The existing main building is believed to be from the Ming and Qing periods. The exterior walls are mottled dark red, and there is an ancient camphor tree with lush foliage in the square outside. The interior is a single-story building with two corridors. The corridor has three bays, eight rafters, and seven steps, while the rear part has eleven rafters and ten steps. The front corridor features a herringbone veranda. The Sangu Temple, along with its legend, has withstood the test of time for a thousand years and still shines brightly. It is a dazzling pearl among the ancient temple buildings in the Huizhou region and is a national treasure. 📣Note: Enter the temple from the left and exit from the right. ⭐Other attractions in the village: Pingshan Archway, Imperial Guard Office, Shu Family Ancestral Hall, Xianyi Hall, Red Temple, Xianji Temple (Sangu Temple), etc. Address: Hongcun Town, Yi County, Anhui Province Navigation: 'Pingshan Village' Tickets: Usually around 50 yuan, free in the first quarter of 2024, and free every Wednesday. Surroundings: Hongcun, Nanping, Guanlu, Bishan (Bishan Bookstore), Shouzhuo Garden, etc.