Wanchai North emperor temple

Yuxu Palace

synonym

Wanchai North emperor temple generally refers to yuxu Palace (yuxu palace, Wanchai, Hong Kong)

Yuxu temple, also known as the North emperor temple, is located in Long'an street, Wanchai, Hong Kong. It was built by Wanchai square to worship the North emperor. The main building was built in 1862 and completed in 1863. It is under the management of the Chinese Temple Committee.

The main building of yuxugong temple is a two in three bay structure, with incense Pavilion in the middle and side halls on both sides. It is a folk building in Qing Dynasty, which is made of green brick, stone and wood. Shiwan pottery sculptures with exquisite workmanship and a long history are the main body of the front ridge and long headdress. They are mostly based on Chinese folk stories. Yuxu palace is an important historical landmark in Wan Chai's early development and a symbol of local community identity.

On May 17, 2010, yuxu palace was rated as a first-class historical building in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Antiquities Advisory Committee

. On October 25, 2019, according to the Antiquities and monuments Ordinance, yuxu palace was listed as a statutory monument in Hong Kong.

Historical evolution

In the first year of tongzhi (1862), the main building of yuxu palace was built by Wanchai Fangzhong to worship the northern emperor, and was completed in the second year of tongzhi (1863). At first, yuxu palace was managed by the Shengong Council, which employed Si Zhu to manage the temple affairs.

According to the inscriptions in the temple, yuxu palace was rebuilt in 1869 and 1928.

In 1928, yuxu palace was managed by the Chinese Temple Committee.

Main buildings

overview

Yuxugong temple is composed of the main building and two side halls: Longmu hall and Sanbao hall.

Main building

The main building worships the northern emperor, and its altar is located in the incense Pavilion and the backward Mingjian. The left second room is dedicated to Guanyin, Chenghuang, sanxiangu and the God of wealth, while the right second room is dedicated to Baogong, luzu, Guandi and Taisui. The shrines of land and Ji Gong are located on the left and right sides of the road.

The word "yuxu Palace" in the front of the main gate is written by Zhang Yutang, a famous general of the Qing Dynasty. There is a screen door behind the main door and a patio behind it. On both sides of the patio is a corridor covered with a rolling shed roof. There is a incense Pavilion on Xieshan mountain in the patio. The pavilion is dedicated to the bronze statue of the northern emperor. The robe corner is engraved with the year of "the 31st year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty" (1603). A wooden plaque inscribed with "dehuanchenju" was hung above the bronze statue. The altar dedicated to the northern emperor is located in the backward Ming Dynasty. On both sides are clay statues of the four marshals. A wooden plaque engraved with "always holding Tianshu" is hung above the altar, which is the offering of the silk line.

 

Dragon Mother Hall

Located on the left side of the main building, the Dragon Mother hall is dedicated to the dragon mother, Buddha mother and Empress Dowager. The wooden couplets on both sides of the main gate can be traced back to the ninth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1883), but they are dedicated to the northern emperor rather than the dragon mother.

According to the inscriptions on the forehead of the gate, the hall was rebuilt in 1907. It was originally a public house and was used as St. James' children's Association in the 1950s.

main hall in a Buddhist temple

Sanbao hall is located on the right side of the main building. It is now dedicated to Sanqing and other gods and used to worship ancestors. According to the inscriptions on the gate, this hall was originally used as an academy. Although the year of construction has not been engraved on the building, the image of this part of the building can be seen on a postcard dating back to the 1980s.

 

Architectural features

overview

The main building and two side halls of yuxu Palace are hard hilltops. They are built on the platform with green bricks, stone and wood, and lead to the ground by stone steps. Most of the fair faced brick exterior walls are smooth and well built.

Although the temple has been maintained for many years, it still retains its original layout and main elements, and most of its decorative features can still be seen, including Shiwan pottery sculpture, grey sculpture, stone carving and wood carving with a long history.

Main building

The main building of yuxu palace has excellent architectural features. It is a folk building of the Qing Dynasty with two entrances and three bays. There is a fragrant Pavilion in the patio between the two entrances. The front porch is supported by stone and wood structure, decorated with figures, flowers, auspicious animals and Chinese folk stories. The wooden eaves under the eaves have fine relief and carved auspicious patterns.

The main building is decorated with exquisite Shiwan pottery with a long history. On the upper side of the ridge are two dragons playing with pearls, with a pair of fish on both sides. On the lower side are figures depicting Chinese folk stories. On the left and right sides of the ridge are Phoenix. The roof ridge was made by Junyu shop in Shiwan in 1907. The pottery sculpture on the roof was also made by the shop. Both sides of the front ridge are decorated with pottery sculptures of Sun God and moon god.

Dragon Mother Hall

Longmu hall is a building with two entrances and one bay, and a patio is built between the two entrances. The front exterior wall is decorated with gray plastic roof and fine wood cornice.

main hall in a Buddhist temple

The three treasures hall is a one-step building. The surface of the bucket entrance brick wall is smoother and better jointed than the other parts of the facade, which means that the extension is not handled by the craftsmen who built the original entrance. The corner of the extension is inlaid with a stone altar.

 

History and culture

Worship gods

The northern emperor, the main god worshipped in yuxu palace, is also known as "Zhenwu emperor", "Xuanwu God" and "Xuantian God". The Dharma phase is to hold a sword in one's hair and step on tortoise and snake barefoot to lead the Big Dipper constellation. The ancients believed that worshiping the northern emperor could lead to longevity. In addition, the North belongs to water, so the North emperor belongs to the God of water. Because the water in the South comes from the north, people in the South believe that sacrificing the North emperor can relieve the flood and ensure the safety of boats. The belief of the northern emperor followed the worship of stars, and then gradually became personified. According to the Taoist Scripture, the northern emperor was the incarnation of the supreme emperor. Later, he entrusted himself to be the prince. He practiced Taoism in Wudang Mountain and achieved good results. Then he was granted the title of taixuan by the Jade Emperor to guard the north. It is also said that the northern emperor was the prince of jingle kingdom. After his cultivation, he achieved great success, and then helped King Wu to eliminate the demons. He was granted the title of yuxu Shixiang and Xuantian God.

In addition to the northern emperor, the temple also worships gods such as Sanqing, Guandi, Guanyin, Tianhou, Western Buddha mother, goddess of Huashan, Jigong, God of wealth, Baogong and dragon mother.

 

traditional custom

Before the Second World War, it was the heyday of yuxu palace. On the birthday of the northern emperor, many people performed dramas to celebrate their birthday.

 

On the third day of March in the lunar calendar, there are still many good believers visiting yuxu palace; on the eighth day of may in the lunar calendar, there are believers celebrating the birthday of the dragon mother. On the days of Jingzhe and around the lunar new year, temples are filled with believers to pray for the gods.

 

Value significance

Among the temples with a long history in Hong Kong, the largest one is yuxu palace. The back purlin of the temple is engraved with the year when it was completed, and the incense Pavilion and the later entrance of the temple are dedicated to the statue of the northern emperor, which is very rare in traditional Chinese temples in Hong Kong.

There are public offices and academies in the temple, which show the original intention of the local residents and businessmen to build the temple. It is also used as a venue to decide public affairs and provide education for the neighborhood. Yuxu palace is similar to the Wenwu temple in Hollywood Road in scale, and it is also a hub for Chinese activities. In terms of religion, believers and local residents believe that the fengshui of the temple can bring prosperity to the local residents.

To sum up, yuxu palace is an important historical landmark in Wan Chai's early development and a symbol of local community identity.

 

protective measures

In 2005, the Chinese Temples Committee spent more than 10 million yuan on a large-scale maintenance project for yuxu palace.

 

On May 17, 2010, yuxu palace was rated as a first-class historical building in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Antiquities Advisory Committee.

 

On October 25, 2019, according to the Antiquities and monuments Ordinance, yuxu palace was listed as a statutory monument in Hong Kong.

 

Tourism information

address

Long on street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Opening Hours

8 am to 5 pm every day

Public transportation

MTR: exit A3 of Wanchai station, go along Taiyuan street to Queen's Road East, turn left, turn to the traffic lights in front of the junction of Wanchai road to the opposite pavement, and then go along shishuiqu street to Long'an street.

Tunnel bus: route 109 and 113 or bus 6, 6x, 10, 15, 61 and 66, get off at Huzhong building station (westbound) or Wan Chai Street Station (eastbound).

Tram: get off at Southorn Stadium Station and take the subway to Long'an street.

 

Address: North Temple, Wanchai, Hong Kong, China

Longitude: 114.17874021811

Latitude: 22.270369990618

Chinese PinYin : Wan Zai Bei Di Miao