Foshan Ancestral Temple

The Zumiao was founded in the Northern Song as a temple to the Northern Emperor, a Daoist deity of water, appropriate in a delta city prone to flooding, and rebuilt in 1372. It carries the full range of Lingnan decoration: ceramic roof friezes, wood and stone carving, and a bronze figure of the deity weighing over two tonnes. Foshan is also a centre of southern Chinese martial arts, producing Wong Fei-hung and Ip Man, and the temple complex includes memorial halls to both along with a daily programme of lion dance and martial arts demonstrations in the courtyard. Wanfu Stage, a Qing opera stage within the grounds, is among the finest surviving.

History

The temple was first built in the Song dynasty, in the Yuanfeng era of 1078-1085, fell into ruin at the end of the Yuan and was rebuilt in 1372, the fifth year of Hongwu, under the Ming. It is dedicated to Beidi, the Northern God, a Cantonese form of the Dark Warrior Xuanwu, said to have power over the waters of Guangdong, and after 1949 it became the Foshan Municipal Museum (Wikipedia, Foshan Ancestral Temple).

What you'll find

• The Northern Emperor bronze - the two-tonne figure in the main hall.
• The lion dance - daily demonstrations in the temple courtyard.
• The martial arts halls - memorials to Wong Fei-hung and Ip Man.
• Wanfu Stage - the elaborately carved Qing opera stage.

When to go

October to April for comfortable weather; the lion dance and martial arts run to a daily schedule posted at the entrance. Chinese New Year brings large crowds and full programmes. Summer is hot and humid.

Practical notes

The martial arts and lion dance are short scheduled performances, not continuous. Entry is charged. Foshan is otherwise an industrial city with limited draw, though it is easily reached from Guangzhou by metro.

Nearby

Guangzhou lies northeast; Nanfeng Ancient Kiln is elsewhere in Foshan.

Key facts