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The intersection of Datong Road and Xindi Zhi Street in Tangjiawan Town is the Tangjia Wenchang Temple in Zhuhai.

Originally, there was only one Tangjia Temple, Shengtang Temple. It is located on the shore of Tangjiawan, Zhuhai, at the intersection of Datong Road and Xindi Zhi Street in Tangjiawan Town. It is connected by Shengtang Temple. The three temples, Man Mo Temple and Golden Flower Temple, are juxtaposed. The Three Tangjia Temples are the oldest, largest and most well-preserved ancient temples in Zhuhai. The three temples of the Tang family were built before the Ming Dynasty. Originally, there was only one Shengtang temple, which was regarded as the ancestral temple of the Tang family.

Tang Jiafu moved here when it was first built

The elders in the village rumored that the construction of the ancestral temple took place more than 800 years ago, and the ancestors of the two surnames Tang and Liang in the village were At that time, he had just moved to the Tang family. Based on this, it is speculated that the construction of Shengtang Temple is almost equivalent to the history of the Tang family. The modern cultural history of Zhuhai also began around this time.

Three temples of different religions coexist in one place

Different religious sects are inherently incompatible, and it is rare for three temples to coexist in one place. However, in the hundreds of years after the construction of Shengtang Temple, the ancestors of the Tang family successively built Wenwu Temple and Jinhua Temple on the right side of Shengtang Temple. Not only that, the arrangement of the statues in the temple is even more amazing. In the Shengtang Temple, the statue of Buddha Sakyamuni is in the same room as the Taoist deity Xuantian Emperor (North Emperor) and the Medical Spirit Emperor. In addition to enshrining Emperor Guan and Emperor Wenchang in the main hall of Wenwu Temple, there are also statues from "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" General Zhou Cang and Prince Guan Ping; in the Golden Flower Temple, the Goddess of Poseidon, the Virgin Mother of Heaven and Lady Jinhua who gave birth to their son sat together.

The three temples worship Buddhism, Taoism, local gods and Confucianism at the same time. It is like a union of multiple religions and cultures, which excited the experts from the National Historical and Cultural Cities Research Center who visited it for the first time.

Three temples: withered green brick and tile roofs

At first glance, the three temples side by side are not much different from ordinary ancestral halls in Guangdong. In fact, they are not much different. It is not an ancestral hall in the traditional sense, but a group of three interconnected and relatively independent temples. The three temples are lined up in a row, with Wen Mo Temple in the middle, Shengtang Temple on the left and Jinhua Temple on the right.

The overall structure of the temple is still very complete. The walls are very simple, most of them are blue-grey, and there are some traces of grass green and vermilion painting on the eaves and beams. The originally gleaming glazed tile roof was severely dilapidated, revealing its dark skeleton, which could not conceal the vicissitudes of hundreds of years. The bricks on the temple walls have also become mottled due to long-term wind and rain erosion.

According to Tang Guanting, the editor-in-chief of "Tangjiawan Overseas Chinese Journal" who was accompanying him, the three temples of the Tang family were not built at the beginning, but were expanded in stages. The three temples are located northwest to southeast. They have blue brick roofs and a mixed structure of trusses and raised beams. They are 32.73 meters wide and 29.6 meters deep. There is a platform in front of the door that is as long as the three temples and about 1 meter above the ground. There is a low wall with a length of 13.5 meters, with a total area of ??about 1500 square meters.

According to the "Tangjiawan Town Chronicles", the three temples of the Tang family have been renovated several times in history. The current main building was rebuilt in the second year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1863). The magnificent Incense Jungle we see today, covering an area of ??thousands of square meters, was the temple that was last overhauled and expanded in the second year of Tongzhi (1863). It has a history of 140 years.

1. Shengtang Temple·The sect opened up its Dharma world

Among the three temples, Shengtang Temple has the longest history and was built before the Ming Dynasty. Shengtang Temple is backed by Goose Peak, facing Zhuhai in front, with Venus Gate on the left and Heling on the right. The Buddha's Apparition Stone is in the center of the back of the main hall. Therefore, it is called the Tang Family’s Feng Shui treasure land.

The architectural style of Shengtang Temple is two entrances sandwiching a well, with an incense pavilion in the middle. The main hall is a hilltop, and the entrance hall is a hardtop. The plaque on the gate of the Shengtang Temple is engraved with the running script "Shengtang Temple", and the two couplets are "The sect is greatly opened, and the Dharma realm is expanded". The font is thick and powerful. There is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the middle of the temple. On the left and right sides are Emperor Xuantian and Emperor Yiling. There are also a series of small statues on the left and right of the main statue. On the left are Judge Wu, King Nagarjuna, Lord Kanggong, and so on. Marshal Zhao Gong and Marshal Fang. The statues on the right are Marshal Yin, Marshal Wang, Emperor Huaguang, King Hong Sheng, Marshal Che Gong and Judge Wen.

Far from the kind-hearted image of Buddha in the eyes of ordinary people, the statue of Sakyamuni enshrined in the Shengtang Temple has three faces and six arms, a dark complexion, and wide-open eyes, which is awe-inspiring. Elder Tang Guanting said that this statue is very different from the statues of Sakyamuni in other temples in Zhuhai. It should be a statue of Buddha from Lamaism, the state religion of the Yuan Dynasty, and was modeled after the crucifixion of Sakyamuni.

At present, this kind of Buddha statue can only be found in Tibet and the Lama Temple in Beijing. As for why Lamaist Buddha statues were enshrined at that time? Later generations will not know.

Shengtang Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Xiangshan County. Tang Guanting said that the Shengtang Temple has gone through many major renovations. From the beginning of its establishment to the present, the main body of the building is only the main seat of the Main Hall of the Shengtang Temple, as well as part of the footings made of rubble and Sanhe soil and the wall made of oyster shells. The "Echo Wall" in the northeast of Shengtang Temple is said to have been inherited from ancient times. It was made by the ancestors of the Tang and Liang surnames using oyster shells and soil. The wall is very strong and cool. In addition, to this day, when I chant sutras and speak here, I still feel that my voice is loud and reverberating.

2. Man Mo Temple·Seven Stars Glorious and Two Saints Together

Man Mo Temple is also known as Man Mo Temple. It was built slightly later than Shengtang Temple. According to the inscriptions in the temple, it is estimated that its construction date was around the early Qing Dynasty.

The Wenwu Emperor's Hall is a building with three entrances and two wells. In the middle of each entrance, there are five short melon columns on five beams to support the purlins, and the front and rear beams have carved board support beams. High in the main hall of Wen Mo Temple are the brightly colored Emperor Wenchang and the majestic Emperor Guan Sheng, as well as the tall red rabbit horse and the weird-looking Zhou Cang holding a gold seal in his hand.

According to records, since the Jiaqing Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Guan and Emperor Wenchang were often worshiped together, and they were called the gods of civil and military wealth, and their incense was flourishing. Guan Dijun, that is, Guan Gong, is worshiped in both Buddhism and Taoism. In Buddhism, he is called Jialan Bodhisattva, and in Taoism, he is called the God of Wealth. Emperor Guan represents loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and prosperity; Emperor Wenchang, also known as Wenquxing, represents fame and wealth, because he is knowledgeable, intelligent, and in charge of people's wisdom.

Tang Guanting told reporters that the main building of the current Wenwu Emperor Hall was rebuilt in the second year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1863). Most of the exquisite Shiwan ceramics inlaid on the main ridge and cornices of the Wenwu Emperor's Hall were added at that time, including Buddha's light, relics, dragons, etc., all of which were made by famous artists. The temple plaques "Wenwu Emperor Hall" and the temple couplets "Seven Stars Glorious, Two Saints Are Honored Together" and the temple plaques of the Shengtang Temple and the temple couplets and the temple couplets "The Great Enlightenment of the Sect and the Hongshi of the Dharma Realm" were Jinshi in Dao Guangnian of the Qing Dynasty. He successively served as governor of Shaanxi and Sichuan. Zeng Wangyan, a native of Xiangshan in Fujian Province and the capital of the acting capital, wrote this book. Several inscriptions preserved in the Wenwu Hall record precious historical data on the Tang family's military defense, overseas Chinese, economic development, and activities of historical figures during the Qing Dynasty.

3. Jinhua Temple·Sipei Chizi Huipu Common People

The Jinhua Temple is the youngest of the three temples of the Tang family. According to the inscription, the temple was established in the 44th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty. (1779 AD) It was built and dedicated to Lady Jinhua.

Jinhua Temple, the current temple is an ancient building that was renovated in the second year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1863). The temple has two entrances and one well, and is built on a hard top. The original incense pavilion was destroyed, and the current incense pavilion was rebuilt in 1993.

The main hall of the Golden Flower Temple is dedicated to the kind-hearted Lady Golden Flower. On both sides are nine female gods of the Eighteen Nurses with the appearance of all beings and five boys dancing dragons and lions to pray for pilgrims to have children. temple. In addition to enshrining Lady Jinhua, the current temple also enshrines gods such as the Queen of Heaven.

The plaque on the Jinhua Temple reads "Jinhua Temple" and the temple couplets "Sipei Chizi; Huipu Common People" were written by Tang Buying (Zenggong Sheng) of the Tang Dynasty scholarly family in the second year of Tongzhi (1863).

Mrs. Golden Flower is a goddess enshrined in the Pearl River Delta region. The Golden Flower Temple entrusts parents with their hopes for their children. Those without children come here to pray for their children, while those with children pray for their children to be safe and successful in their studies.

The "Buddha Appearing Stone" is still under the lotus seat

The same saying has been passed down from generation to generation in the village. In ancient times, the place where the Tang family's three temples were built was originally a large forest, with a vast sea on the left. One day, a fisherman passed by this place while fishing early in the morning. He saw cigarette smoke floating in the forest, and the sound of chanting sutras and knocking wooden fish. He pushed aside the vines and went in to take a look. He found a stone inside, which was shaped like Buddha. When he went back and told the villagers, they all believed that this was a sign of the Buddha's appearance, so they mobilized the village to raise donations and build a temple there to worship. According to legend, the Buddha Apparition Stone is still under the lotus seat of Buddha Sakyamuni enshrined in the main hall of Shengtang Temple.

The Ma Tou Army fought against the Japanese pirates and saved the Tang family

On the left side of the front hall of Wenwu Temple is enshrined a general Fu Ma, whom the villagers call the Ma Tou Army. This general raised horses specifically for Guan Gong, and the red rabbit horse he raised was a BMW that could leap thousands of miles. According to village legend, a long time ago, pirates often appeared on the beach of the Tang family. For several nights, the villagers heard the running and neighing of horses outside their houses, as well as the sounds of fighting with pirates.

After that, everything was peaceful in the village. The villagers believed that the Ma Tou Army resisted the pirate invasion and protected the Tang family's safety.

Girl Jinhua committed suicide by throwing herself into a lake when her marriage was blocked

During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the wife of an inspector in Guangzhou gave birth to a child. An old man pointed out: "Invite Miss Golden Flower to come, you can ensure the safety of mother and child." The patrol sent someone to find a folk girl named "Golden Flower" and took her to her home. Coincidentally, as soon as Miss Jinhua entered the back hall, Madam gave birth to the baby safely. From then on, the Golden Flower girl became the "Guanyin Guanyin". People from all over the country came to her to ask for children or deliver babies. An ordinary village girl gradually became deified, and eventually no one dared to marry her. The golden flower girl became more and more haggard day by day, and finally committed suicide by throwing herself into a lake. People call this lake Fairy Lake, and build a Golden Flower Temple to commemorate the Golden Flower. They designate April 17th of the lunar calendar every year as the Golden Flower's birthday. Before liberation, there were many Golden Flower Temples in the Pearl River Delta, which were very popular. During the Golden Flower Festival, vendors gathered and there were even theatrical troupes performing, which lasted for several days, making it very lively.

Before liberation, the gods were invited to "walk the streets" every Dragon Boat Festival

The old people of the Tang family recalled that before liberation, during the Dragon Boat Festival every year, the three temples that were usually silent were It will become lively. "Wandering Gods, commonly known as playing Bodhisattva, begins at four o'clock in the afternoon. The adults dress up the gods such as Hua Tuo, Tianhou Empress, Wenchang Emperor, Eighteen Nurses, Wuhou Gong, etc., complete with dragon seats, and carry them one by one to patrol along the street. There was a huge procession, including dragon dancing, lion dancing, playing music, beating gongs and drums, setting off firecrackers and salutes, and the scene was very lively. Villagers watching along the way bowed and offered incense from time to time, praying for good weather and a good harvest. Households burned coarse incense behind the door and hung mugwort at the door. "After liberation, various religious and folk activities in the three temples of the Tang family were gradually suspended. When the Wanshan Islands were liberated, the Tangjia Sanjian Temple was used as a temporary station for the People's Liberation Army. In 1958, the three temples of the Tang family were converted into kindergartens. The sound of reading has replaced the lingering Sanskrit sounds that have lasted for hundreds of years. During the "Cultural Revolution", all the Buddhist statues in the three temples of the Tang family were destroyed and turned into warehouses for storing grain in the village. But fortunately, several bluestone inscriptions on the temple walls have been completely preserved. The current Buddha statues in the three temples were copied by masters from Fujian based on the memories of the elderly during the reconstruction in 1993.

It is necessary to worship gods when you go to sea or travel across the ocean

“Worshiping the Shengtang Temple can get the protection of the ancestors, and the Wenwu Temple represents the moral character of the Tang family’s loyalty and teachings, and The enterprising spirit eager to make achievements. "Although the Tang family's three temples are no longer popular today, the Tang family who have lived here for generations still regard the three temples as a kind of ancestral spirit and protection. Before fishermen in the village go to sea, or businessmen and scholars travel across the ocean, before going out to work hard, they are still used to visiting the three temples to pray for smooth sailing.

Temple visitor Liang Bo told reporters that the three temples of the Tang family rarely hold religious activities, but many residents are still used to going to the temples to worship on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. Many elderly people come here almost every day to burn incense and pray, or just to talk about ancient times with other elderly people in front of the temple.

At this time, not far from the temple, Grandma Liang, who was in her eighties, leaned on the old house made of blue bricks and looked at the three temples from a distance, leaning on crutches. It turned out that she was waiting to see if the old man in front of the temple had come. When many people came, she went to join in the fun, chat and reminisce about old times. Grandma Liang said that when the weather is good, at two o'clock every afternoon, the elderly begin to gather in front of the temple to chat, and some go to the temple to pray for wishes and resolve their worries. Talking about the previous temple, she shook her head and said slowly, "It's been a long time, I don't remember it." When I asked her if she still remembered what the three temples looked like before, she pursed her lips and smiled and said, "It's as beautiful as it is now."

Grandma Huang, who often played cards in front of the temple, said: " The three temples mean a lot to the elderly, including unforgettable historical achievements in the past, spiritual sustenance in the present, and hopes for the future.”

A Hong, who runs a restaurant, is quite unique. , she said that she did not often go to the three temples. "Every day, there is an endless stream of tourists coming here to visit, so I won't take up space, so that those tourists can have more opportunities to understand Tangjia Town and the three temples."

First and tenth day of the lunar new year Everyone in the five villages comes here to pray

As a member of the post-80s generation of the Tang family, 20-year-old Xiao Luo specially visited the three temples of the Tang family because he wanted to bring friends from other places to visit.

Wearing a brand-name sports T-shirt, jeans, and an MP3 player hanging around his neck, Ronaldinho, who is very fashionable, knows the history of the three Tangjia temples and the local customs and customs very well.

"Some people may think that these three ancient temples are being forgotten by young people. In fact, this is not the case. The three temples, together with the spirit of the ancestors of the Tang family, have deeply penetrated into the blood of our Tang family. We don’t want to throw away this spiritual belief that has lasted for hundreds of years and been inherited by generations.” Xiao Luo said that on every first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, young people in the village would come together with their elders to offer incense and offer sacrifices. Worship and pray for blessings, bring apples, onions, garlic and other offerings, hoping that the children will be safe and that the children will be smart and good at calculations.

The nine bluestone inscriptions are more precious than the ancient temple

Tang Guanting

He is the person in charge of the committee of the three temples of the Tang family, a researcher of the history and culture of the Tang family, and the author of "Tang Family Editor-in-Chief of Bay Overseas Chinese Journal

Tang Guanting believes that what the Three Tang Temples left to future generations is not only the ancient Lingnan architecture and beautiful myths and legends that have lasted for hundreds of years, but also the nine bluestone inscriptions preserved in the temples. The cultural relics with the most historical value. These inscriptions reflect the military defense, overseas Chinese, economic development, and activities of historical figures in Tangjia Town during the Qing Dynasty.

The wall repair project is huge and difficult

In the seventh year of Daoguang (1821), Liang Shangju, a Juren named Liang, recorded in the "Inscription on the Reconstruction of the Three Temples": "After the reconstruction, the customs were favored. People's hearts are pure, morale is high, crops are plentiful, merchants come and go, and fish and salt residents accumulate wealth, which is almost better than in previous decades." This shows that the society and economy in the Tangjia area were stable during this period. Prosperity and progress. The "name donors" for the two reconstructions during the Qianlong and Daoguang years were all older generations with surnames Tang, Liang and neighboring counties. This has certain research value for overseas Chinese to explore their ancestors and find their roots.

During the Xianfeng period, foxes appeared in the Tang family. "The foxes repeatedly unleashed their ferocity. They slept soundly and were frightened by the barking of dogs in the middle of the night. Although the door was closed, the second watch was disturbed by the crowing of roosters..." So ever , calling on everyone to donate money to build the wall.

The "Inscription on Rebuilding the Enclosure" written by Tang Buying in the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854) and the "Small Yin for Encouraging Donations to Shanghai County in September of the Second Year of Xianfeng" written by his son Tang Qihan have the same inscription. It shows the role played by the three temples of the Tang family, especially the Shengtang Temple, in the social history of the Tang family. "The wall is more than 260 feet long. The continuous wall looks like the Great Wall. The construction cost is more than 2,100 taels of silver. The construction started on the sixth day of July and was completed on the third day of October..." It can be seen that the wall of the Tang family was rebuilt in that year. The project is vast and arduous. The Tang family, who were doing business in the Fujian area, repeatedly donated money to repair the wall in order to promote long-term peace and stability in their hometown. The inscription also records that during the same period, a Taiping army in central Guangdong was gathering and reorganizing at the seaside of Tangjia and Qi'ao.

Today, part of this Sanhetu wall that has gone through nearly 150 years is still well preserved.

During the Westernization Movement, the Tang family had a lot of income

In the first year of Tongzhi (1862), a typhoon collapsed all the incense pavilions in the Shengtang Temple, and the three temples of the Tang family were seriously damaged. destroy. Since there were many Tang family businessmen who made fortunes at home and abroad, they quickly raised more than 10,000 taels of silver and carried out a large-scale reconstruction and expansion of the three temples. This is what we see today. The main body of the three temples of the Tang family. From this, we can see that in the mid-18th century, as the number of Tang family members studying abroad gradually increased and the Tang family's trade prospered, more and more Tang family members began to make a living elsewhere and owned their own industries.

According to the inscription, in the two reconstruction projects in the ninth year of Jiaqing and the seventh year of Daoguang, only about two thousand taels of funds were raised, indicating that the social strength of the Tangjia area was not developed at that time and the national economy was limited. Under the model of small farmer economy. However, during the "Westernization Movement" period after the "Five Ports of Trade", the Tang family's economy experienced rapid development. Although in the fourth year of Xianfeng's reign, when the wall project of the Tang family was built, only 2,000 taels were raised through repeated donations from Tang family merchants in Shanghai. However, the project to rebuild the three temples ten years later raised 11,000 taels at once. More than a thousand taels. In addition, the Jiangxi Association, which is managed by Shengtang Temple, was able to provide a loan of more than 16,000 taels to the Tangjiatong Township Youth League Training Bureau. This shows that during the Westernization Movement, the Tang family’s eclectic and pioneering spirit enabled them to make huge economic gains. success.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, it seemed to be the "administrative agency" of the township

From what Tang Buying recorded in the "Ziying House Genealogy" rebuilt in the fifth year of Xianfeng's reign, "Then a Jiangxi society was invited for the ancestral temple. "In the second year of Tongzhi's "Inscription on the Reconstruction of Three Temples", "A building was built behind the temple as a place for convention meetings..." and in "Tuanlian Hongcheng", "Yongyong is provided by the temple on a year-by-year basis. "Enough", the billing revenue and expenditure of the newly built "Tangjia University Hall" in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, etc., all show that the social role of Shengtang Temple has far exceeded the scope of religious activities and has become the "administrative agency" of the entire township.

It was not until the establishment of the township government during the Republic of China that the administrative role of the three Tangjia temples gradually declined, but they still played a role in social public welfare. Relying on the huge "incense income", the three Tangjia temples not only support the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the township all year round, distribute cold clothes, and provide care for the lonely elderly people, but also at the end of each year, they also present New Year's Eve meat to all the elderly in the township regardless of gender, surname, poverty, or social status to express their appreciation. respect for the elderly. It was discontinued until the temple was appropriated by the Japanese army during the Anti-Japanese War. Mace is afraid of harming Ban Xun