Zhaoqing Yuecheng | Lingnan Millennium Ancient Architecture Culture·Longmu Ancestral Temple

| Lingnan’s Millennium Ancient Architectural Culture·Longmu Ancestral Temple. The Dragon Mother Ancestral Temple was built during the Qin and Han Dynasties. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it can be verified through historical books, inscriptions on steles and temple records. With a history of 2,000 years, it is one of the oldest temples in China. The Dragon Mother Ancestral Temple, where "Four Seas Pay Homage", is located in a spiritual and beautiful place, facing the Xijiang River in front and the majestic Wulong Mountain in the back. The Qinghuangqi Mountains are lined up on both sides to guard it, forming a surrounding and protecting pearl. The ancestral temple is famous for its divinity, uniqueness, ingenuity and spirituality, and is known as the place where the Phoenix and Dragon forces are concentrated. The Longmu Ancestral Temple has stone carvings, brick carvings, wood carvings, pottery carvings, etc., and the architectural carving art is ingenious. A lifelike figure is carved out of a small square brick, and the dragon-shaped granite columns of the Shanmen Fragrance Pavilion are made using deep carving and openwork techniques. The wood carvings and pottery carvings in the temple cover a wide range of subjects, and it can be called a small sculpture art gallery. In terms of architectural skills and cultural heritage, it can be said to be "the only remaining ancient altar". The Shipai Archway was built in the 33rd year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty. The granite columns are made of mortise and tenon joints, and all the columns have drum stones. The two doors are decorated with obvious Western architectural style and themes related to Chinese folk legends, which integrates Chinese and Western cultures. The mountain gate has a hard mountain top, is covered with green glazed tiles, and has a ridge decorated with pottery sculptures. In the middle is a pair of dragons playing with a pearl, and is decorated with figures, birds, animals, flowers, insects, etc., with a strong Lingnan style. The incense pavilion has green glazed tiles and a double-eaved hip roof. The Panlong stone pillar is made through deep carving and openwork carving techniques. The main hall has a double-eaved hip roof covered with green glazed tiles. The hall is tall and spacious, with staggered beams and columns connected with mortise and tenon joints. The surrounding columns, beams and brackets support the top of the hall steadily, and the eaves of the hall extend even further. The dressing room is a two-story pavilion with a hard green glazed tile roof and wok-ear style fire-proof gables. The upstairs is where the dragon mother's dragon bed is located. Qin Long's mother's tomb. In the 21st year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, the inspector presided over the repair of the tomb and built a wall around the tomb. The stone tablet was erected in the 47th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign when the Dragon Mother's Tomb was rebuilt. The stele pavilion, also known as the Enyin Pavilion, was built in the first year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. The top of the pagoda is made of golden glazed tiles, the roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles, the edging is inlaid with green glazed tiles, and there are glazed golden dragons on the eaves and corner ridges. Inside the pavilion there is a stone tablet of an imperial edict from the ninth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty. Chengxi Academy, also known as Longmu Academy. It was named after the legend of the Dragon Mother that originated from the dragon-raising activity in Chengxi. It was first built in the tenth year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. On the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, which is the birthday of Dragon Mother, the Dragon Mother Temple holds large-scale folk sacrificial activities, with more than 100,000 people visiting to worship. For dozens of days in a row, pilgrims gathered in front of the temple, and the air was filled with the smoke of incense. In the past, there were customs of "offering sacrifices to the green snake" and "touching the dragon bed". Tips: Time: 08:30-17:30 all year round Tickets: 50 yuan (can be purchased online or on-site) Transportation: Take a bus from Zhaoqing Duanzhou Road Bus Terminal to Deqing Yuecheng Station Address: Next to National Highway 321, Yuecheng Town, Deqing County, Zhaoqing City