Roughly speaking, the Zhu Rong clan was a tribe that appeared in the Shennong era or as early as the Fuxi era and was famous for being good at making fire, managing fire, and using fire. Made outstanding contributions to the development of civil fire technology. By the time of the Five Emperors, "Zhurong" was therefore used as an official title. In fact, it should be more accurately an industry name.
"Guoyu·Zhengyu": "Fu Li is the fire of the Gaoxin family. He is so pure that he shines brightly, and the sky is bright and the earth is virtuous, illuminating the world, so he is named 'Zhurong'." "Historical Records of the Chu Family": "Chong Li was the emperor's concubine and Gao Xin lived in Huozheng. He was very meritorious and could bring light to the world. The emperor's concubine named him Zhu Rong." This is the ancient interpretation of the word "Zhurong". The shape of the word "zhu" in oracle bone inscriptions is like a person kneeling before God to worship and pray. Its original meaning refers to a wizard, who is the person who presides over blessings during sacrifices. By extension, it is used to express good wishes for people and things. The word "Rong" is a pictophonetic character, from Ge, with the sound of Chongsheng. Li is an ancient cooking utensil. The original meaning of the word "Rong" is the rise of cooking gas, which has been extended to mean long-lasting, bright, accessible, flowing, obvious, prosperous, harmonious, comfortable, warm, and warm. Therefore, the word "Zhurong" means the person who uses fire next to the cooking pot and brings hope to people is the person in charge of using fire.
In modern times, using fire is a very simple technology, but in ancient times, using fire was not simple. Archaeological discoveries at the Dadiwan site in Qin'an revealed that red-burnt clay blocks, pottery and the earliest painted pottery products were unearthed from four houses in the first phase of the culture (about 8,000 years ago), indicating that people at that time were already making and using fire. Among the 156 house sites of the second phase of the Yangshao culture (early Yangshao period, 6000 years ago), there are round and gourd-shaped stoves, as well as tinder jars for storing fire. This shows that the Chinese ancestors have mastered the techniques of artificial fire making, fire storage and fire use very early. However, because early houses are inseparable from grass and wood building materials, once a fire breaks out, the harm will be extremely serious. Therefore, the early Chinese ancestors did not have the habit of using fire in the house. Only after they further understood the nature of fire and mastered more comprehensive fire-using techniques, did they dare to use fire in the house. It is the tradition of the Zhurong tribe to develop and improve fire-using technology.
F301 of Dadiwan is the remains of an approximately square semi-crypt-style building, which belongs to the early Yangshao half-slope type. It focuses on the methods of making, using and preserving fire by the ancestors. Stone axes, stone knives, bone awls, pottery fibers, sand-filled coarse red pottery pots, fine mud red pottery pots, bottles, bowls, cups, etc., as well as painted pottery pots, bone daggers, bone needles, bone files, clam shells, There are more than 50 artifacts including animal bones, indicating that people conducted their daily lives indoors. According to carbon 14 dating, it is more than 6,000 years ago. Stone knives, bone needles, and clam shells are all perforated, indicating that they have mastered the drilling technology. Stone axes, bone awls, bone daggers, pottery files, bone needles, etc. It can be seen that with these tools, there is no problem in drilling wood and making fire. The door of this house faces northwest, and the doorway opens in the middle of the west wall. Indoors, near the doorway, there is a circular stove pit with a diameter of 1.12 meters. There is a ventilation hole with a diameter of 0.3 meters in the cave near the doorway, which leads directly into the stove pit, and a diameter of 0.3 meters is opened on the other wall of the ventilation hole. It is a 0.25-meter-deep cave with a depth of 0.31 meters. There is a coarse red clay pot with sand inside, which is used to store fire. The doorway consists of 3 steps, which go around both sides of the stove pit and lead directly into the room. Setting up the stove pit in this way has three functions: first, it helps to prevent wild beasts from invading. At that time, the surrounding area was a large virgin forest, where wild beasts appeared and posed a great threat to people. At night, after people have rested and fallen asleep, wild beasts appear. When it comes to the door of a house, it will be scared away when it sees a big fire. Second, the door is ventilated, and the stove pit is equipped with a ventilation hole. The fire is not only easy to burn, but also strong. Third, there is a fire at the door, which can prevent the cold air from entering in winter. Not only will the temperature in the room be high, but it will also be warm. It can be seen that the stove pit was quite complex and was an important part of house construction at that time. With it, the house became a warm home for people. The development of such complex stove pit facilities cannot be completed in one day, which should be the reason why Zhu Rong's deeds are widely circulated. In other words, Zhu Rong's contribution was to finally introduce fire into people's houses and turn them into warm homes.
"The Classic of Mountains and Seas·Great Wilderness Northern Classic": "Beyond the Northwest Sea and to the north of Chishui, there is Zhangwei Mountain.
There is a god with a human face, a snake body and a red body. His eyes are straight and he is in the right position. His silence is dark, but his vision is bright. He does not eat or sleep and does not rest. The wind and rain are like a visit. It is Zhu Jiuyin, which is called Zhulong. "There is a line in Qu Yuan's "Heavenly Questions" that says, "If there is no candle dragon to shine on a good day, how can it be illuminated? " sentence. This story may reflect the fact that Zhu Rong pioneered the use of fire in the house. The word "zhu" has the same pronunciation as "zhu", and the pronunciation of the word "dragon" is similar to "rong", and "zhulong" It can be regarded as a homophone of "Zhurong", or a variant of the same name. According to Rag, the image of a candle dragon is a house with firelight in the dark. In ancient times, the population was sparse and people's houses were scattered. When night falls, the human residential area is completely hidden in the darkness. Only the doors with shining firelight stare at the passers-by. Behind them is the endless night, like a long dragon. As long as you zoom in on this image, it becomes " Its silence is dark, its sight is bright." Generally speaking, before Shennong, people lived a life of gathering, fishing and hunting, and needed to move frequently with the seasons to obtain food. Only Only when primitive agriculture develops to a certain extent and food production basically meets people's daily needs can humans live a settled life. Only then will the importance of housing gradually become apparent, and people will have the requirement to further improve housing conditions. It is not considered a fire in the house. Real housing. The Zhu Rong tribe developed fire technology and finally successfully introduced fire into housing, creating a warm home for the ancestors. The long history of the Zhu Rong tribe's development of fire technology should not be forgotten. This may be the reason why the Zhu Rong tribe was adopted. The reason why some legends call it one of the "Three Emperors"? Zhurong Peak, one of the "Four Wonders of Nanyue", is tall and protruding, higher than the Furong, Zigai, Tianzhu, Xiangguang, Yanxia and Zhensu peaks. The newly compiled "Nanyue Zhi" records: Zhurong Peak, with an altitude of 1289.8 meters, is located at 27 degrees 18'6 north latitude and 112 degrees 41'05 east longitude. It is the highest peak and the main peak of the 72 peaks of Nanyue. It is based on the name of Zhu Rong, the god of fire. Named after the invention of making fire by drilling wood, Zhu Rong became an expert in managing and using fire because of his closeness to fire. He lived in Hengshan and was buried in Hengshan after his death. In order to commemorate his great contribution to people, the highest peak of Hengshan Mountain was named Zhurong Peak. In the ancient saying, "Zhu" means lasting, and "Rong" means bright.
The top of Zhurong Peak will be bright forever. Zhurong Hall, formerly known as Laoshengdi Hall, was first built as a temple during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620). The building was later rebuilt. There are stone railings on the rocks behind the hall, and you can have a panoramic view of the North Mountain.
To the west of Zhurong Hall, there is a viewing platform. On a moonlit night, the bright moon shines in the sky, and the scenery is particularly bright. Visitors stand on the platform and enjoy the moonlight. It is a different scene than on the flat ground. It retains its afterglow, as described in a poem by Sun Ying'ao of the Ming Dynasty: "The beauty of the world has faded, but the clear light of this place has not faded. "You can imagine the wonderful scene.
There are many temples near Zhurong Peak, and to the south is Shangfeng Temple. Before the Sui Dynasty, it was called Guangtian Temple and was a place for Taoist activities. During the Daye Period of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ( 605-618), ordered it to be changed to Shangfeng Temple. Directly in front of Shangfeng Temple is the Nantianmen. There is a sun viewing platform on the mountain behind the sun viewing platform. There is a stone tablet next to the sun viewing platform. There are four characters in the name of "The Source of Watching the Sun". In the clear air of autumn, especially on the clear days after rain, visitors can see the wonder of "a red sun rolling into a golden ball"
Because of the surname Mou. It originated in the Zhou Dynasty, after the fire god Zhurong. According to "A Survey of Surnames", "Yuanhe Surnames Compilation" and "Customs of Customs", the country of Mou (the old city is located twenty miles east of Laiwu, Shandong) was a sub-state of the Zhou Dynasty. According to legend, he was a descendant of Zhu Rong, who destroyed the country at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, and later took the country as his surname.
Zhu Rong was the official in charge of fire in ancient times. It was originally held by Zhuan Xu's great-grandson Chongli, because he was also called Huozheng. Chongli was very meritorious and could bring glory to the world. He was named Zhurong by Emperor Ku. Emperor Ku ordered his younger brother Wu Hui to succeed him and return to Huozheng as Zhurong. Wu Hui gave birth to a son, Lu Zhong, who inherited the post. Later, the official position of Zhurong evolved into the name of the tribe, which was called the Ziguo of Zhou Dynasty. The country was destroyed at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. After the country was destroyed, the descendants took the country as their surname and took the surname Mou.
Since the post of Zhu Rong was succeeded by Wu Hui, most people with the surname Mou in later generations respected Zhu Ronglu as the ancestor of the surname Mou. Since Zhu Rong is also the God of the South China Sea, he must choose a place for him to manage the South China Sea. This location must have at least two conditions. First, it must be close to the outlet of the South China Sea, with a port nearby to facilitate the entry and exit of merchant ships for worship. Second, there must be a certain population nearby, so that people can often come to the temple to worship and make offerings. Fuxu Town (today's Miaotou Village), located at the mouth of the Pearl River on the coast of the South China Sea, is about 80 miles away from Guangzhou City. On the north bank of the Pearl River, it faces the Fuxu River (a section of the Pearl River), is connected to Shiziyang in the east, Humen in the lower part, and Guangzhou in the back. It was an important sea transportation center in and out of Guangzhou in ancient times. Through this place, you can travel to the sea and reach countries in the South China Sea. Fuxu Town has a very advantageous geographical location and is known as "It takes only a hundred steps to the sea, but there are always winds and waves, and the shore is facing an unpredictable abyss." This became an ideal place to build a sea temple, so people built the Nanhai Temple here, giving Zhu Rong a place to live. However, Zhu Rong has both fire and water roles. Zhu Rong Peak in Hengyang Nanyue is his real palace, and the South Wall Temple is his illegitimate palace. In fact, the establishment of the Nanhai Temple is closely related to the relative stability, rapid economic development, and frequent maritime transportation and trade in Guangzhou since the Southern and Northern Dynasties. At that time, in the exchanges between China and other countries in the Western Regions, in addition to the Northwest Silk Road, maritime transportation developed rapidly. Many overseas merchants and monks came to China by sea by boat, and Chinese ships also went overseas to other countries. Due to the unpredictable situation at sea, the desire to pray for the protection of the sea god was also increasing day by day. In the 14th year of his reign, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty issued an edict to build the Nanhai Temple. It can be said that it was a natural progression and met the needs of the people and the government at that time.
Toumen
After the "Hai Calm Waves" stone archway, there is the courtyard of Toumen. There are a pair of bluestone Chinese watches and a pair of stone lions on the east and west sides of the courtyard. It shows the majesty and extraordinary magnanimity of the ancient temple.
There are clairvoyants and shunfeng ears on both sides of the first door. On both sides of the black lacquer door are painted portraits of the door gods Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, the fierce generals in the early Tang Dynasty. These four gods guard the temple day and night, and their loyalty can be said to have been the same for thousands of years. Above the door is the horizontal plaque of "Nanhai Temple". The left and right couplets read: "When the white waves rise, the waves hit the fractured Tianshan Mountains and breathe the thunder and wind; after the dark clouds have gone, the cloud buds blow over the Zhuhai Sea and the stars and the moon are blooming." The original couplet was written by Lin Zijue of the Qing Dynasty, and the current couplet is written by a famous calligrapher from Guangdong Province. Lu Youguang republished it in 1991. This couplet vividly depicts the power of the South China Sea God to call upon the wind and rain, with boundless power.
On the east side of the head gate is the Han Yu Stele Pavilion, which is the earliest preserved inscription in the Nanhai Temple. In the 12th year of Yuanhe (817) and the 14th year of Yuanhe (819) of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, Kong Xu, the 38th generation descendant of Confucius, came to Guangzhou to worship the God of the South Sea, and appropriated funds for repairs and expansion of temples, which coincided with the great literary period of the Tang Dynasty. Han Yu, his family member, was demoted to Chaozhou in the 14th year of Yuanhe and passed through Guangzhou because of the "Admonition to Ying Buddha Bone Table" incident. Confucius and Han had always been good friends, and Confucius admired Han's literary talent, so he asked Han Yu to write a commemorative article to repair the temple. thing. Han Yu happily wrote more than 1,000 words of "The Monument of the Temple of King Guangli of the South China Sea".
The Han Yu Monument is 2.47 meters high and 1.13 meters wide. Han Yu wrote articles and issued remonstrances. Han Yu's inscriptions are of great reference value for studying the origin and development of Nanhai Temple, the custom of sea worship in the Tang Dynasty and the maritime trade at that time.
To the west of Toumen is the Kaibao Stele Pavilion of the Northern Song Dynasty. In the fourth year of Kaibao's reign (917), Pan Renmei led his army southward, destroyed the Southern Han Dynasty and pacified the Lingnan area. In the sixth year of Kaibao's reign (919), the Northern Song Dynasty established the Nanhai Ship Division in Guangzhou to manage foreign trade and allocated funds to repair the Nanhai Temple, hoping to ensure smooth maritime transportation and transactions. The Kaibao Stele Pavilion mainly records ancestor worship and historical events during this period.
Yimen
The second entrance of Nanhai Temple is called Yimen, which is the door of etiquette. The middle door is only for high-ranking officials and nobles to enter and exit, while other lower-ranking officials or ordinary people can only use the side door. There is also a pair of stone drums at the entrance of Yimen. The legs of the drums are carved with four kinds of animals: birds, sika deers, bees and monkeys. Their joking meaning is "Jue Lu Enfeng Hou". I hope that everyone who comes here to worship the God of the South China Sea will be Be able to get promoted and make a fortune. Above the ceremony gate is a horizontal plaque with the words "Holy Virtue Xianzhan". The couplet is "Zhenhai Shen Xiu Yong, Sinan Temple Mao Chong".
From the Yimen Courtyard to the east and west sides of the fourth entrance hall, there is a double corridor on each side. In the corridor, there are about 45 inscriptions from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In addition to the Han Yu Monument at Toumen and the Kaibao Monument of the Song Dynasty, the famous steles in the temple include the Hongwu Monument of the Ming Dynasty, the Kangxi Monument of the Qing Dynasty, and so on. These poetic steles and stone carvings from the Nanhai Temple have played a very important role in the study of ancient Chinese calligraphy art and the historical origins of the temple. Therefore, Nanhai Temple is also known as the "Southern Forest of Steles".
It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there were tribute envoys from the ancient Baltic Kingdom to China. On their way back, they passed through Guangzhou and went to the Nanhai Temple. They visited the temple to pay homage to the God of the South China Sea and brought two Baltico tree seeds from the ancient Baltic Kingdom. Planted in the temple, he was so obsessed with the beautiful scenery in the temple that he never wanted to leave, so he missed the return ship. The man then looked at the river and wept, and raised his left hand in front of his forehead as if looking at the sea, hoping that the ship would come back to pick him up. Later, he stood on the beach. People believed that the tributary envoy was a friendly envoy from the Maritime Silk Road. He was buried with a rich burial, and his left hand was raised in front of his forehead to look at the return of the ship. A statue was enshrined in the Nanhai Temple, and he was dressed in Chinese clothes and titled. Daxi Sikong, during the Shaoxing period of Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, also granted Daxi the title of Assistant Marquis. Because he was from the Polo Kingdom, he planted a Polo tree in the temple, and he looked forward to the Polo boat coming back every day to take him back to his country. Therefore, the villagers commonly called this statue "The Ghost Looking at Polo", and the temple was also known as It is called "Polo Temple". In the Ming Dynasty, Zen Master Hanshan wrote a poem about Xi Sikong, which was very vivid and appropriate. The poem goes:
When I cut my forehead in front of the stream, how can I think so much? When I go to the west, I look at the sky with my lonely sail.
Standing tall and determined to return to the homeland, flying without wings against the wind.
The bells and drums are sorrowful and the king's meal is sad, and the clothes and clothes are tied to the miserable appearance of the man.
There is no need to be nostalgic for comfort, the rain and dew from the sky will come naturally.
Many people have always verified the identity of Daxi Sikong. Tang Dynasty period. Guangzhou's overseas trade has become very prosperous, and many foreigners have come to China to do business. The above legends about the Boluo Tree, Boluo Temple and Daxi Sikong fully reflect the historical facts of Guangzhou’s prosperous foreign trade and frequent friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries since the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Liting Pavilion
After exiting the Yimen, you enter the third Liting Pavilion. The Liting Pavilion was a place where ancient officials worshiped the God of the South China Sea. This is a wooden structure building with a single eaves on the top of the mountain, three rooms in width and three rooms in depth.
The most eye-catching thing in the third entrance is the Kangxi Imperial Stele Pavilion on the west side of the garden. The four golden characters "Wanli Bo Cheng" on the monument are bold and unrestrained. Shining in the sunlight. This was written by Emperor Kangxi himself in the 42nd year of Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1703). After the plaque was made, a special person was sent to the Nanhai Temple, and a stele was erected specifically to record the event.
On the east side of the garden is the Ming Hongwu Imperial Monument. The stele was erected in the third year of Hongwu (1370). It was commissioned by Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, and written by Wang Wei, his lover in the Ministry of Rites. Due to simplicity, Zhu Yuanzhang canceled all the previous titles of Nanhai Temple and re-titled Nanhai God as "God of the South China Sea".
An ancient kapok tree planted in front of these two imperial monuments is said to be two to three hundred years old. In ancient times, Nanhai Temple had lush trees, including more than 10 kapok trees. Qu Dajun, a famous Lingnan poet, once likened the kapok tree in the Nanhai Temple to "ten feet of coral" in his book "Guangdong News". The two plants were of course replanted by later generations. Due to their long planting history, they are all listed as ancient and valuable trees in Guangzhou.
Main Hall
Behind the ceremony pavilion is the highest-standard and most important building in Nanhai Temple.
The main hall is the fourth entrance of Nanhai Temple. It is a hilltop building with wooden structure and glazed tiles imitating the Ming Dynasty. The roof is covered with green glazed tiles; in the middle there is a glazed tile ridge with patterns such as two flying phoenixes and a fish hanging upside down; at the upper part there are two black dragons with their bodies bent like soaring and galloping, fighting for the orb in the middle. It is said that the twin phoenixes represent beauty, the whole fish represents freedom, the blue dragon represents power, and the orb represents wisdom.
In the middle of the hall, there is a 3.8-meter-high Nanhai God Zhurong. He wears a crown on his head, a dragon robe, and a jade pen in his hand. He has a plump body but a very dignified expression, showing a kind kingly demeanor.
There are statues of the Six Marquises on the left and right sides of the main hall. It is said that these six people all made great contributions to the Nanhai God to control the sea storms, so they fought for a foothold in the "polytheistic" Taoist temple.
They are Daxi Sikong as the Hou Lihou, Du Gongkong as the Hou Huihou, General Cao of Xunhai as the Marquis of Jiying, Xunhai Tidianshi as the Marquis of Shunying, Wang Ziyilang as the Fulinghou, and Wangzi Erlang as the Zanninghou.
There is also a famous bronze drum from the Eastern Han Dynasty and an iron bell from the Ming Dynasty on the east side of the hall. The bronze drum has a diameter of 138 cm, a height of 71.4 cm, and a thickness of 0.4 to 0.6 cm. It is an extremely precious cultural relic, second only to the large bronze drums in Guangxi and Shanghai, and ranks third among the existing large bronze drums in China. . It was cast during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It has a sunburst pattern in the middle of the drum surface. There were originally 6 bronze frogs inlaid on the rim of the drum, but they have been lost for some reason. The drum body has round square hole money patterns and cloud patterns. The big bronze drum is an important sacrificial instrument for the ancient Yue people and represents power and status. In addition to being used in God's birthday celebrations, this bronze drum is also said to have the function of calming demons and calming the sea.
There is a screen wall behind the statue of Zhu Rong. There is a dragon soaring in the clouds and mist on the mighty sea water. There are couplets on both sides: "Thousands of boats along the water go to Hongsheng; the true dragon appears in the waves."
Zhaoling Palace
The fifth entrance is called Zhaoling Palace, also called the back hall, which is the palace of the Lady of the South China Sea. Mrs. Nanhai God was named "Mrs. Mingshun" during the Song Dynasty. It is said that she was originally a sericulture woman from Shunde who later turned into a god and was betrothed to the God of the South China Sea. In addition to having the same magical power as the God of the South China Sea, she also has the function of "giving birth to children" and is the protector of women and children.
Sunbathing Pavilion
On the west side of Nanhai Temple, there is a small hill, which was called Zhangqiu in ancient times. There is a small pavilion on the mountain about 10 meters high. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, this place was surrounded by water on three sides, "facing the sea and feeling boundless." Standing in the pavilion was of course the best place to enjoy the sea view and express feelings about the sea.
According to relevant historical records, there were up to 108 steps on this hill in ancient times, but now there are only 72 steps left. It is connected to the Lion Ocean in the east, with vast misty waves. The night gradually recedes and the red clouds begin to appear. The vast expanse of blue waves are suddenly dyed with a layer of golden light. When a red sun rises from the sea, half of it is still sinking in the sea, hesitating. This scene is extremely spectacular - this is the "Fuxu Bathing Day", one of the eight scenic spots in Yangcheng in the Song and Yuan Dynasties in history. No wonder many literati at that time liked to go boating here at dusk after visiting the Nanhai Temple, and then climbed up to the ancient pavilion to watch the sunrise at dawn the next day!
In the early years of Shaosheng in the Northern Song Dynasty (1094), the great writer Su Dongpo was demoted to Lingnan. On his way to Lingnan, he stopped in Guangzhou and worshiped the God of the South China Sea. He boarded the Sun Bathing Pavilion and marveled at the magnificence of the sea, the glory of the sun, the vastness of heaven and earth, and the simplicity of the temples. He then wrote the poem "Sun Bathing Pavilion in the South China Sea" with his life experience: "The majestic sword energy penetrates the sky at night. , the auspicious light fades to Huangwan. I sit and watch the floating gold halo in Yanggu, and think of the snow-capped mountains in Qiantang. I am feeling desolate and sick, and suddenly the birds start to fly up among the purple green peaks."
Poems are written in pavilions, and pavilions are also powerful in poetry. Someone with good intentions would carve Su Dongpo's poem on a stone tablet as a souvenir. The stele is erected in the pavilion, so the pavilion is also called Yuri Pavilion. Later, its reputation gradually spread far and wide, and many literati and poets came here to watch the "Bathing Day in the Sea" (because the temple was called Polo Temple in ancient times, it was also called "Polo Bathing Day"). Many people who were related to Su Dongpo also left behind One of the most famous poems is "Yun Pavilion and Su Dongpo Yun" by Chen Xianzhang of the Ming Dynasty. The poem goes like this: "The waning moon has no light and the water is beating the sky, and the fishing boats are counting in front of the bay. Yesterday's sky was red and empty, and the mountains were green and vast. Gu Yingmo must be sad and have white hair, and he can show his dragon face when he is negative. Who can hold Yang He in his hands and scatter it among thousands of rocks and ravines? ”
Later generations also carved Chen Xianzhang’s poems and erected monuments. Now the two poem monuments coexist in the pavilion.
The Nanhai Temple is like a historical old man who has witnessed with his own eyes the history of the Western Han Dynasty The Maritime Silk Road originated from the history of Guangzhou. The temple is truly a microcosm of the prosperity of Guangzhou's foreign transportation and foreign trade. It integrates my country's religion, ancient architecture, calligraphy, sculpture, and various literature and art, and has a high level of influence. Historical value and tourism value.
The Guangzhou Municipal Government has formulated a master plan for the development of Nanhai Temple, which will be implemented soon. The entire plan will cover an area of ??440,000 square meters and will restore "Ancient Fuxu Street". In front of the "Sea Calm Waves" stone archway, the ancient wharf and sea view will be restored, and a waterway will be opened to connect to the Pearl River. A "South China Sea Maritime Silk Road Museum" will also be built.
After completion, visitors can enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Maritime Silk Road and reflect on the ancient times. China's Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Lingqu Canal connecting the Tingjiang River and the Pearl River have long been known. However, on the coast of southern Guangdong, there is an ancient canal along the Fuxuzhijiang River, and perhaps not many people know about it.
In ancient times, the water surface of the Pearl River was vast, as vast as the sea, so Guangzhou people often called the ferry crossing the river "crossing the sea", and also called the long embankment along the river "Haipi" (side). The Pearl River Estuary, located in front of the Nanhai Temple in the east of Guangzhou, is even called the sea. The sea here is very windy and rough. If there is bad weather, the whitecaps will empty and the waves will surge, which is a scary scene. Boats traveling between the Dongjiang River and the Pearl River can only be safe on calm days. In order to allow small boats to travel between the Dongjiang River and the Pearl River without passing through the waters of the Pearl River Estuary, during the Tang Dynasty, someone dug an ancient Fuxu Canal not far from the temple, on the east side of the Huangpu Power Plant. The canal is more than 10 feet wide, and it is more than 10 kilometers long from Jingzhicheng Encirclement, Suidong Lianwei to Dongjiang Hengli and out of the Dongjiang River. The ancient Fuxu Canal connects Huangmu Bay to the Dongjiang River, shortening the voyage from the Pearl River to the Dongjiang River. Small boats under 100 tons can travel between the two rivers around the clock without suffering from the waves of the Pearl River. After the canal was dug, large and small ships liked to choose this channel. Therefore, the canal is bustling with activity all year round. The function of the canal continues to this day, and it is also a beautiful episode of the Guangzhou Maritime Silk Road.