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Foshan
Ancestral Temple |
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The
Ancestral Temple of
Foshan City situating
in the south of the
Five Ridges (the area
covering Guangdong
and Guangxi provinces),
is a Taoist temple
established in the
11th century of Yuanfeng
Era of the North Song
Dynasty, which was
called “North Emperor
Temple” at that time,
and rebuilt in the
5th year of Hongwu
Era of the Ming Dynasty
(A.D.1372). Due to
its long history and
the most famous fame
in the temples of
Guangdong Province,
it is also called
“Ming Temple” now.
The Ancestral Temple
has a sliver shape
covering an area of
over 3000 square meters,
and has a symmetrical
layout separated by
a north-south axle
line; furthermore,
the total region has
an ascending direction
from south to north.
In addition, the temple
is composed of the
screen wall (a wall
facing the gate of
a house to protect
the gate), Wanfu Stage,
courtyard, Lingying
Stone Tablet, Jinxiang
Pool, Stone Lion Drum-tower,
gate of the Buddist
temple, Middle Hall,
Grand Hall, Zhenqing
House. Generally speaking,
the plan layout is
compact, the structure
is precise, and the
model is unadorned.
However, the main
entrances are located
on the two sides of
the gate, which has
shown a different
pattern comparing
with other temples.
As main building,
the Grand Hall of
the Ancestral Temple
is dignified and grand.
The well-rounded hardwood
pendentives like Lotus-flower
Pad, Swallow Pad,
Head Pad, etc., serve
for supporting the
whole roof structure,
which have implemented
the excellent facilities
of litparlit frames,
far-reaching acock
eaves, refinement
and elegancy, firmness
and reliableness,
so as to have a unique
style comparing with
other congeneric ancient
constructions.
The Ancestral Temple
is always honored
“The Grand Park of
Statuary Art”. Various
stone carvings, lime
sculpture, pottery
sculpture, brick carving,
wood sculpture, copper
and iron sculpture
which can be seen
everywhere of the
whole architecture,
are perfectly man-made
and make your eyes
full of perfect artworks,
so as to give a great
artistic enjoy to
the tourists. The
grand tortoise-snake
stone carving which
arrogantly squats
on the water surface
of Jinxiang Pool,
is wonderful with
no doubt; while the
roof garden stretching
over 100 meters composed
of over 2000 character
figures of 24 categories
of the Stone Gulf
Pottery-Sculptures,
and as a whole which
holds fancy design,
diaphanous work, and
lifelikeness, is really
a superior master
work of pottery-sculpture
art.
The huge woodcarving
of “Li Yuanba subduing
the dragon” in the
Grand Hall of Ancestral
Temple, and over-5000-jin-heavy
North Emperor Statue
made of bronze laying
in the Main Hall,
and the pottery sculptures
as frame of the flower
garden on the roof,
those above can be
called “The Three
Consummate Artworks
of the Ancestral Temple”.
The micro-sight
of the Foshan Ancestral
Temple in the Splendid
China Park is built
by copying the pattern
of the real one according
to the proportion
of 1:15. The miniatures
on its roof are made
and set totally in
the charge of Foshan
Shiwan Ceramics Factory.
With fancy design,
the products hold
a special feature
of pottery-sculpture
art.
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