Zhongde Palace

Zhongde palace is a three door and two entrance palace. A protective house is built at the back and right of the palace. The whole palace is hidden under the ancient banyan trees. The environment is quiet, covering an area of about 600 square meters. The stone beam on the top of the main gate is engraved with four characters: "Baosheng emperor". The wooden plaque of "Zhongde Palace" was hung on it. On the stone pillars of the rigid door frames on both sides of the middle gate are engraved the couplets of "living by water, worshiping sangbanghong and cultivating virtue in the temple" and "worshiping the real person in a trace of spirit". A pair of carved stone lions were placed on both sides of the palace gate. Entering the palace gate is the hall of worship, in which a sacrificial table is placed. In front of the table is a large bronze censer, which was dedicated by the believer Zhuang tianshuan in 1992. The second entrance is the dragon and tiger well. The original walls on both sides are carved with dragon and tiger images, so the courtyard is called the dragon and tiger well. In the past, the courtyard was capped during house maintenance. Now the patio has been restored after reconstruction. In the middle of the back hall, the statue of Baosheng emperor was worshipped in the shrine. The statue has a golden face and black beard, and its eyes are bright. Sitting in the niche, it is awe inspiring. On both sides of the back hall, 36 statues of officials and generals were worshipped, showing solemnity and solemnity.

Zhongde Palace

Zhongde palace was originally located on the west slope of the northward branch of Jimu mountain in the west of Gulangyu Island in Xiamen. It is close to the river and faces the sea behind the mountain. The believers call it daogongan. Later, the nunnery did not know why it stopped worshiping Daogong, so it was called the old nunnery; the river in front of the nunnery was called the old nunnery river. According to legend, the time when the statue of Daogong was invited to the Zhongde palace for worship was about the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty.

history

Gulangyu was a deserted island. It is said that in the late Song Dynasty and the early Yuan Dynasty, fishermen surnamed Li from Songyu, Dongyu, Zhenyan and Banshang, separated from Gulangyu, built houses on both sides of a small river (now commonly known as Jiuan River) in the northwest of Gulangyu and settled down in the area now known as kangtailong, which was called Licuo Ao, and became the earliest residential area of Gulangyu. During the period of Yongle (1403-1424) in Ming Dynasty, plague was prevalent in this area. Li family moved back to Songyu area of Haicang to escape from plague. The family name Huang moved to licuo'ao to engage in agricultural development. It was renamed neicuowo.

According to genealogical records, people surnamed Li came to Gulangyu to live together at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. During Chenghua (1465-1487) of the Ming Dynasty, the Huang family of jiaomei Jinzhai came to live in Gulangyu on a large scale.

Secondly, the early residents of Gudao Island were influenced by the worship of "Baosheng emperor" (also known as Daogong) by the residents of Gehai Baijiao, Songyu, Dongyu and qingjiao. At that time, the medical conditions were backward. Once the residents got sick, they often prayed for the blessing of the gods. Daogong, who is worshipped by the white reef Tzu Chi palace in Tong'an, is a medical God. So the residents of Gudao went to Baijiao to hold the statue of dadaogong and build Zhongde palace so that the residents could pray for worship.

textual research

Although there is no detailed record in the local records, according to the records of the tomb of Ming Chushi Zhenshan Huang, unearthed by archaeologists of Xiamen Museum on July 10, 1986 under Jiuan River, Jishan Road, Gulangyu Island, it is found that the owner of the tomb, Huang Yihu, whose name is shizuo, and his name is Zhenshan, is a small intellectual living on Gulangyu Island. He was born in 1568, died in 1621, and died in 1622 2) Buried in the vicinity of Zhongde Palace on Gulangyu Island. ① According to the above research, the earliest Zhongde palace was built before 1622. It is said that the statue of Daogong was landed from a large stone slab in kangtailong at that time, so later the masses called the big stone slab "Daogong bridge". The big stone slab was the earliest wharf for external transportation on Gulangyu Island, which was reclaimed and buried underground in 1980. There is another legend. It is said that fishermen surnamed Li living in Gudao saw a statue of Daogong floating on the sea, so they picked it up and asked to hold it home for worship. Later, with more and more believers, they built Zhongde palace to worship at the above address. The palace will be abandoned after 1622. The reason is unknown. Before the palace was converted into Gulangyu electric appliance company, there were stone pillars and stone foundations. It can be inferred that it has a certain scale, with an area of more than 100 square meters.

newly build

After the suspension of the above-mentioned Zhongde palace, the residents living in the present neicuo Wo Road (neicuo Ao Road) and Jishan road raised funds to build a new Zhongde Palace on the slope of the northwest of Gulangyu Island, commonly known as the south foot of Wanchai tail (now No. 373 neicuo Ao Road). Its founding date is not recorded in the local records. According to the above-mentioned unearthed epitaphs, it will be after 1622. In 1923, the board of directors of the palace purchased a shop next to the zupo temple in Xiamen and collected rent to pay homage to the ancestors in Baijiao. The palace has always been managed by the board of Trustees of the believer organization. Every year, before March 15 of the old calendar, there is a pilgrimage to Baijiao. Although there is no such activity as Xingxian palace, it is famous for its performance. Sometimes it has been performed for several days in a row, or even performed two plays at the same time, which is very lively. In addition, every year on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the lantern festival holds turtle begging activities, which is also very lively.

Zhongde palace is a three door and two entrance palace. A protective house is built at the back and right of the palace. The whole palace is hidden under the ancient banyan trees. The environment is quiet, covering an area of about 600 square meters. The stone beam on the top of the main gate is engraved with four characters: "Baosheng emperor". The wooden plaque of "Zhongde Palace" was hung on it. On the stone pillars of the rigid door frames on both sides of the middle gate are engraved the couplets of "living by water, worshiping sangbanghong and cultivating virtue in the temple" and "worshiping the real person in a trace of spirit". A pair of carved stone lions were placed on both sides of the palace gate. Entering the palace gate is the hall of worship, in which a sacrificial table is placed. In front of the table is a large bronze censer, which was dedicated by the believer Zhuang tianshuan in 1992. The second entrance is the dragon and tiger well. The original walls on both sides are carved with dragon and tiger images, so the courtyard is called the dragon and tiger well. In the past, the courtyard was capped during house maintenance. Now the patio has been restored after reconstruction. In the middle of the back hall, the statue of Baosheng emperor was worshipped in the shrine. The statue has a golden face and black beard, and its eyes are bright. Sitting in the niche, it is awe inspiring. On both sides of the back hall, 36 statues of officials and generals were worshipped, showing solemnity and solemnity.

There are four traditional worship festivals in Zhongde Palace: Turtle begging activities are held on the 15th of the first month of the old calendar on the Lantern Festival; on the 14th of February of the old calendar, caigu of Meishan temple in Tong'an is invited to worship the Thousand Buddhas in the Palace (but since 1996, Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen has been invited to worship the Thousand Buddhas); before the 15th of March of the old calendar, around the 10th of the first day of the new year, they are held in Baijiao Tzu Chi palace and qingjiao Tzu Chi palace However, since 1996, the master of Nanputuo temple in Xiamen has been invited to worship the Buddha; on September 14 of the lunar calendar, caigu of Meishan temple in Tong'an has been invited to worship the Buddha; on December 14 of the lunar calendar, the God sending activity has been held.

Zhongde Palace on Gulangyu Island is one of the only two temples dedicated to Baosheng emperor. Zhongde palace plays an important role in the development history of Gulangyu. For example, the residents living near the palace, it is customary to say that they live in front of the palace, or behind the palace, on the top of the palace, or beside the palace, and then tell people the address and house number. In particular, overseas remittance letters are usually addressed to someone at the top of the Grand Palace, neicuoao, Gulangyu, Xiamen. It can be seen that Zhongde palace, as an important place name of Gulangyu, is still playing a role.

Address: no.373 neicuoao Road, Gulangyu, Xiamen, Fujian

Longitude: 118.062984

Latitude: 24.448159

Chinese PinYin : Zhong De Gong