Meicun Taibo Temple

Taibo Temple in Meili Ancient Town, Wuxi, is located at No. 21, Taibo Middle Road, Xinwu District, Wuxi City. It was built to commemorate Taibo, the ancestor of the Wu Kingdom. It was built in the second year of Yongxing in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The existing complex is a Ming and Qing architectural complex. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Ming and Qing architectural complexes in Wuxi. The temple has buildings such as the Xianghua Bridge, the "Zhide Mingbang" stone archway, and the Zhide Hall, which are solemn and simple. Taibo Temple carries the Wu culture and demonstrates Taibo's pioneering and humble spirit. It was listed in the list of national key cultural relics protection units in 2006.

Located on the bank of Bodu River in Meicun Township, Wuxi County, 15 kilometers southeast of Wuxi City, it is also known as Taibo Temple, Zhide Temple, and Rangwang Temple. Meicun was formerly known as Meili. It was the capital of the Gouwu Kingdom when Taibo, the eldest son of King Tai of Zhou, fled from Qishan, Shaanxi to Wu to give up the throne. In the second year of Yongxing in the Eastern Han Dynasty (154), Emperor Huan ordered the establishment of a temple here. It was renovated and expanded in successive dynasties. In the early Qing Dynasty, it became a group of buildings covering an area of ​​more than 80 acres, which were extremely exquisite and gorgeous. In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), when the Qing army suppressed the Taiping Army in Wuxi, they burned down the Aizhi Hall, Dashu Hall, Dezhi Hall, Daxia Hall, Cijian Hall and other buildings of Taibo Temple. In 1937, it was destroyed by the Japanese army again. Only the main hall, two wings, Jimen, Toushanmen and dozens of ancient cypresses in the temple remained.

The ancient town of Meili, located in Wuxi, was built to commemorate Taibo, who abdicated the throne to a virtuous man. Taibo traveled thousands of miles from the Central Plains to the ancient land of Wu and Yue, bringing advanced farming techniques and spreading Chinese culture.

The existing Taibo Temple is a Ming and Qing Dynasty building. In front of the temple stands a pond with a single-hole arched stone bridge over the pond, named "Xianghua Bridge". To the north of the bridge stands a granite memorial archway with the four characters "Zhi De Ming Bang" engraved on it. To the north of the stone altar is Lingxing Gate, which has six stone pillars, 6 meters high, with cloud dragons and cranes carved on them. Lingxing Gate is the first building of Taibo Temple, with a width of three rooms. There are courtyards behind it, with nine rooms on the east and west sides. There is still an ancient cypress and a laurel tree in the courtyard. After generations of construction, along the central axis of Taibo Temple from south to north there are Jinshui River, Xianghua Bridge, "Zhide Mingbang" stone archway, Lingxing Gate, Ji Gate, Zhide Hall, Zushi Hall, Guandi Hall; to the east of the central axis is the East Courtyard, which has Sanrang Hall, Zunde Hall, Cang Hall, Xiaorangwang Hall, Daxia Hall, Cijian Hall, Shengtang, and Huanshan Xiaozhu; to the west of the central axis is the West Courtyard, which has Zhubao Hall, Yunshan Shenchu, Deqia Hall, Caizhi Hall, Gefan Building, and Dashu Hall. Taibo Hall has formed a large-scale ancient building complex and has become a famous historical site in Jiangnan.

Taibo Temple is a must-see in the first ancient town in Jiangnan. The courtyards, terraces and pavilions are ancient and have distinct historical traces. Some of the surrounding scenery is still under construction. I look forward to visiting it again after the construction is completed.

Of course, it has a long history. It is worth a visit to understand the history of southern Jiangsu. Several restored monuments are worth seeing, and the tall memorial archway is also quite good. In addition, the nearby commercial street and food street make it a good place for leisure.