Detailed explanation of Wenshan’s historical sites
(1) Huituzhai Neolithic Site. It is located on the bank of Panlong River in the northwest suburb of Wenshan City, with a remaining area of 400 square meters. One human tooth fossil, one stone axe, one net pendant each, two projectiles, some broken animal bones and several pieces of sand-filled red pottery have been collected. Experts infer that this place was the residence of ancient people in the late Neolithic Age 3,500 to 5,000 years ago.
(2) Guanyin Pavilion. Guanyin Pavilion is located on the top of Huilong Ridge at the southern end of Pingba Town, Wenshan City. It was first built in the second year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1797), and was added in the fourteenth year of Daoguang (1834). It was destroyed by fire in the sixth year of Xianfeng. It was rebuilt and finally completed in the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859). It was continued until the twelfth year of the Republic of China (1923). It was originally a building complex with three entrances and two courtyards, covering an area of 11 acres. The existing Guanyin Pavilion, Weituo Hall, left and right wing rooms, Guansheng Palace and Laojun Hall form a quadrangle. The main hall is a mixed structure of brick and wood with a single eaves on the top of the mountain. It faces east from the west and has three bays. It is 20 meters wide, 11 meters deep and about 12 meters high. It has 28 net columns, 18 of which are on the outer eaves. There are 2.1-meter-high stone pillars, and the twelve zodiac animals and flowers and lotus patterns are carved on the eaves, finials, sparrows and other components. The pillars are decorated with inscriptions, shining clouds, ancient trees, and the sound of birds fills the ears in the quiet forest.
(3) Li’s Ancestral Hall. Built in Leshi Chong Village in the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922), it is a building with three entrances and two courtyards. The temple has three rooms, with a rigorous overall layout and meticulous carvings on the eaves and pillars. There is a plaque inscribed by Li Yuanhong in the temple, which is dedicated to the ancestors of the Li family. (4) Writing Tower. It stands on the top of the mountain on the east side of Wenshan City. First built in the middle period of Kangxi period in the Qing Dynasty, it is a Gongyi Academy with a scenic name of "Yanta Autumn Wind" and is one of the eight scenic spots in Wenshan. In the 23rd year of Jiaqing (1818), Kuixing Pavilion Wenfeng Pagoda was moved here. The tower has seven floors and is five feet eight feet (19.33 meters) high. The inlaid couplet: "Two osmanthus vying for wonders, iron paintings and silver hooks exploring the moon cave; a river's shadow, and mountains and mountains creeping up on the roots of the sky." summarizes the geographical shape of Wenshan. All the fortifications built in the middle of the Anti-Japanese War were demolished. Rebuilt in 1997, the new tower is 49 meters high, with seven floors and eight upturned towers, making it more spectacular than the old tower. (5) Daxing Temple. It is located between Kaihua Middle Road and Daxing Street in the urban area, facing east and west, with a total area of 3539.6 square meters. The total construction area is 1289.26 square meters. It was first built in the 32nd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1604 AD) and was originally the Long family ancestral hall. Monk Fei Ya from Wutai Mountain traveled here and rebuilt it during the Kangxi period. The two-sided building of Xianfeng Bingchen Temple was destroyed by fire and later rebuilt. In the Yichou Year of the Republic of China, the gentry and the people donated money, and it took six years from 1917 to 1923 to complete the renovation. On May 27, 1996, the Prefecture People's Government held an on-site office meeting and decided to restore Daxing Temple. In 2001, the mountain gate and the wing room were rebuilt. From March to August 2002, Mr. Ren Huaican, a philanthropist from Wenshan, funded the reconstruction. The Heavenly King's Hall and the Main Hall were repaired and painted, and the roofs were replaced with yellow glazed tiles. Reconstructed 34 gold foil statues. Bronze bells, bronze tripods, leather drums and other internal facilities were added. The temple has a typical architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, has a long history and has high scientific value. It was announced as a provincial cultural relic protection unit on December 18, 2003.
(6) Shoufo Temple. Located in the middle section of Foshou Street in the urban area, it was built in the third year of Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1725) and was built by people from Hengzhou, Hunan. During the Qianlong, Jiaqing and Guangxu years, it was continuously expanded and repaired. The building is grand and spacious, with wood and stone carvings, colorful paintings, fine workmanship, thoughtful conception, and rich content; the courtyard is green with pines and cypresses, ancient banyan trees and sweet osmanthus, making it quiet and elegant. On the right side of Shoufo Temple is King Yu's Palace. The stage in the palace has a unique style: the stage is exquisitely carved, hollowed out and bas-relief carved, with unique patterns of flowers, birds and figures, and red lacquer paintings, which lasted for more than a hundred years, and the colors are especially preserved. The existing old house has been restored into an activity room for the elderly with funds raised from the masses. (7) Wuzi Temple. Located in Xuehai Lane in the urban area (in the present-day Zhouzhou Mass Art Museum), it was built by Si Longshangdeng, the Mingjiaohua chief. It was first called the Xianshi Temple and was built as a Confucian Temple when the land was renovated. In the 16th year of Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1890), it was renamed Wuzi Temple. In the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1904), Huang Xishang and others raised funds and rebuilt it. In 1998, the state people's government and the state cultural bureau allocated funds for reconstruction. In May 1985, it was announced as the first batch of state-level cultural relics protection units. On December 18, 2003, it was announced as the sixth batch of provincial cultural relics protection units.
(8) Xiaoximen Tower. Located in Wenshan City, it was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It was repaired four times between Jiaqing and Daoguang years, and it is still in good condition today. The tower is a gatehouse-style building with double eaves on the top of the mountain, a mixed wooden frame with brackets and raised beams, and three rooms on the first floor and one bottom. The open room is 5.4 meters wide, which is wider than the secondary room and is used as a passage. There is a wooden ladder behind the right room to go up to the city tower. The floor is made of wood, and the city tower is used as a room for the city defenders. The tower is quite in the ancient architectural style of the Qing Dynasty, with reliefs of animal and plant patterns on the planks, heads, and upturned walls. This building is the only existing ancient city gatehouse in Wenshan area. From it, you can see the historical traces of Wenshan ancient city, and it has historical and scientific research value. It was announced as a county-level cultural relics protection unit on March 20, 1986; in September 1997, it was announced as the second batch of state-level cultural relics protection units.
(9) Former Residence of Chu Tunan. The former residence is located on Shangtiao Street in the city. Facing south, it is a two-entry courtyard with a hard top and a bucket-type civil structure. It was built during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The former residence was announced as the fifth batch of provincial cultural relics protection units in November 1998. In 2005, the county party committee and government began to restore the former residence. An opening ceremony was held on April 11, 2006, and it was officially opened to the public. (10) Lexi Stone Tower. Located on Baoshan, Lexi Village, Dehou, it was built in the 20th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1815) and is made of stone.
The base of the stone tower is square, 55 centimeters high, with a stone base built on top and a carved stone orb on top. The stone base is engraved with pictures of spring cows, dragons in the clouds, clams, crabs, goats, lotus and other patterns. There are decorative stone brackets on the stone eaves and arches, with raised eaves above them. The east and west gates each have a figure-eight-shaped stone low wall. The carvings on the north and south stone walls no longer exist today. The west stone wall is carved with characters from the Three Kingdoms story on the right and the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea on the left.