Temple of the Five Lords
20°0′35.79″N 110°21′17.34″E / 20.0099417°N 110.3548167°E
The Temple of the Five Lords (Chinese: 五公祠; pinyin: Wǔgōng Cí), also known as the "Temple of the Five Officials", is a memorial shrine to five exiled officials from the Tang and Song dynasties that is located to the southeast of the city of Haikou on the island of Hainan, China. During the times of these dynasties, Hainan was perceived as a remote part of the empire and was used as a place for banishment for disgraced court officials. All five officials worshipped at the temple encountered such a fate, typically after losing power struggles within the imperial court.
Notable buildings of the temple complex are the Five Lords
In total, the temple complex covers an area of 2800 square meters.[1]
The temple's main building is the Five Lords Ancestral Hall. It is a red two-story wooden structure that stands more than 9 meters tall and has a total floor space of 560 square meters.[2] A historical inscription on a board placed over the front entrance on the second floor declares it the "first building in Hainan". The earliest buildings of the complex were erected during the reign of Wanli Emperor (1572–1620) of the Ming dynasty.[2][3] The temple has undergone a major restoration during the reign of the Qing emperor Guanggxu (in 1889)[2] followed by minor repairs that were carried out later.
The five officials commemorated in the temple are the Tang chancellor Li Deyu (Chinese: 李德裕, 787–850), and the four Song ministers Li Gang (Chinese: 李纲, 1083–1140), Li Guang (Chinese: 李光, 1078–1159), Zhao Ding (Chinese: 赵鼎, 1085–1147, also known for his poetry), and Hu Quan (Chinese: 胡铨, 1102–1180).[2] Each of the officials had been banished to Hainan Province after having fallen out of the court's favor and is now represented by a stone statue placed on the temple grounds.
The Ancestral Hall of the Two Fubo Generals is dedicated to the two generals
The Sugong Temple is located to the southeast of the Temple of Five Lords. It commemorates Su Shi (Chinese: 苏轼), a renowned poet and statesman of the Song dynasty, who was also banished to Hainan.
The temple is located near the administrative border between the City of Haikou and
Five officials
Li Deyu (787–850)
Li Gang (1083–1140)
Li Gang (
Li Guang (1078–1159)
Li Guang (Chinese: 李光) was exiled to Qiongzhou (now Haikou) in Hainan in 1144.
Zhao Ding (1085–1147)
Zhao Ding (Chinese: 赵鼎) was a statesman and renowned poet of the Southern Song dynasty. He advocated attempts to recover territory lost to the Jin dynasty and committed suicide dying as a result of a hunger strike.
Hu Quan (1102–1180)
Hu Quan (Chinese: 胡铨). In 1148, during the rule of Qin Hui, he was exiled to Hainan. In 1155, after the death of Quin Hui, he was able to resume his duties.
References
- ^ Wugong Temple (Five Officials Temple) – chinatravel.com
- ^ a b c d Memorial Temple of Five Lords – china.org.cn
- ^ Wugong Temple – China Travel Tour Guide