The Temple for Five Officials
8 min readThe scenic spot we are going to visit is the Temple for Five Officials.It is located at the road intersection of Haifu Road and Qiongzhou Road in Haikou City.The entire construction area of the Temple for Five Officials is 2，800 square meters，and the Temple complex covers an area of about 7 hectares.It is the largest existing ancient building complex in Hainan，built to commemorate the five famous Prime Ministers or officials，who were successively exiled to Hainan in the Tang and Song Dynasties.They were Li Deyu，Li Gang，Li Guang，Zhao Ding and Hu Quan.The Temple for Five Officials consists of several ancient relics，including the First Temple of Hainan，the Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall，Guanjia Pavilion，Xuepu Study Hall，Two-Fubo Temple，Wugong Library Hall，Jiongzhuo Pavilion，Qiong Garden and FusuSpring，etc.People have become accustomed to calling the Temple complex as the Temple for Five Officials.
Everyone，we have arrived at our destination.Please look to the left，where there is a spring named Ji Spring.It was found occasionally in 1915 when the Intendant of Qiongya Circuit Zhu Jicheng reconstructed the Temple for Five Officials.It is said that Ji Spring and Fusu Spring，which was discovered and digged by Su Dongpo，are”opposite to each other as naturally as two rivers were converged”，thus named”JiSpring”.
Now we’ re in the Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall, which was built to commemorate the famous eminent writer Sushi in the Northern Song Dynasty. In the year of 1097, Sushi was banished to Danzhou City in Hainan. He slept over Jinsu Temple(which is called the Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall now) on his way to Danzhou. In 1101, he was pardoned and left Hainan for the north but died halfway in Changzhou. In order to commemorate him, people called the place where he had lived as “Dongpo Reading Place”. Based on this, the Dongpo Academy was established in the Yuan Dynasty. The academy went through several changes and was destroyed and fell into disuse in the Ming Dynasty, but its relic survived. In Wanli 45th year of the Ming Dynasty (1617, Daixi, the Vice Surveillance Commissioner of Qiongzhou, reconstructed theDongpo Academy on the original site. To enshrine Su Dongpo and his son Su Guo, his portrait of 64 years was engraved in the Dongpo Academy, which wasrenamed the Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall. During the construction of “the First Temple of Hainan”, Zhucai had also renovated the Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall in large scale, and added buildings like the Stone Gate to it. Basically, the present Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall we are visiting was built in Guangxu years, except for the original stone sculptures constructed in the Ming Dynasty in front of the gate. In the main hall sits the memorial tablets of Su Dongpo, with his son Su Guo on the right and his student Jiang Tangzuo on the left. The Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall is said to be reconstructed before the construction of the Temple for Five Officials.
Some people say that the Temple for Five Officials is the best place to meditate on the past in Hainan.What we are seeing now is the First Temple of Hainan，which I have just told you.It is the largest construction of the Temple for Five Officials，which is a two-storied structure with a pavilion roof，with 12.
meters in height.There is a horizontal plaque hung on the front door of the second floor，reading the”First Temple of Hainan”.Why the temple is called the First Temple？One reason is that it is the highest and the largest buildin at that time in Hainan.The second and also the vital reason lies in the five officials’spirits of noble moral integrity，fearlessness of dignitary and unyielding willpower while they were in adversity，which were the first at that time.The Temple for Five Officials is also quite special for its architectural style made entirely of wood and there is no even one iron nail in the original room.Now it has been rebuilt.Experiencing a long history of more than 100 years，the temple is still standing there under so many attacks of the frequent landing typhoons，which quite amazes people.It is said that its being able to maintain for so long is because the uprightness of the five officials’spirits dominates the temple.
Inside the hall of the first floor are five memorial tablets for the five officials.The one in the middle is Li Deyu，who had been on the position of Prime Minister in Wenzong and Wuzong years of the Tang Dynasty.He was framed up by the treacherous court officials and banished to Hainan.Now many families with Li as their surname in the Yazhou area of Sanya introduce themselves as the offsprings of Li Deyu.The other four officials’memorialtablets next to Li Deyu are Li Gang，Li Guang，Zhao Ding and Hu Quan of theSong Dynasty.They all had been framed up and banished to a remote area in Hainan，but they did not change their minds and made great contributions to the development of Hainan Island in culture，education and economy.So the Hainan people built ancestral temples in memory of them.In Guangxu 15thyear of the Qing Dynasty（1889），the Intendant of Leiqiong Circuit Zhucai，directed the construction of the”First Temple of Hainan”to commemorate the”Five Officials”.Later，the temple and a group of the surrounding buildings are called the Temple for Five Officials.
On the left of the First Temple of Hainan is Guanjia Hall，whose original name is Guanjia Pavilion.The Chinese meaning of Guanjia is to view the abundant water of Fusu Spring irrigating thousands of acres of crops.According to historical records，the Guanjia Pavilion，with hexagon eaves，is constructed in Wanli 43th year of the Ming Dynasty（1615）to commemorate Su Dongpo’s great contribution of drilling the two springs，which had benefited the mass.Look，on the center of the wall in Guanjia Hall are four big Chinese characters”Xun Gen Wen Zu”.The surnames of the ancestors who migrated firstly to Hainan are recorded here.There are 66 sources of the surnames hanging on the wall.If you are from Hainan，you can come and find whether your ancestor is there or not.
On the right side of the First Temple of Hainan stand the Xuepu Study Hall and the Wugong Library Hall.They were all built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Xuepu Study Hall was formally the lecture room of the famous scholar Guo Wanxiang from Zhejiang Province.Now there are ancient copper bells and drums exhibited here.These relics with fine workmanship fully show the high craft level of ancient Hainan people.It is said that Guo Wanxiang came to Hainan with about 8，000 ancient books for his students to study，and after his death，the room for the books became a library.The Wugong Library Hall is a building with plain title and red wood，but unfortunately the books were all plundered by warlords and politicians in old China before 1949.
Let’s turn back to the Reserved Sugong Memorial Hall and walk to the north.Go through the gate，and you will find Two-Fubo Temple and Jiongzhu Pavilion.There are two precious stone tablets standing between Two-Fubo Temple and Jiongzhuo Pavilion.One is the”Shou”Tablet，and the Chinese word”Shou”was written by Hai Rui for his mother’s seventieth birthday.It has two characteristics:the first is that no matter how you look at it，normally or upside-down，it’s still the Chinese word”Shou”.The second is that it consists of four Chinese characters”Sheng Mu Qi Shi”in a very sophisticatecway.The other stone tablet is the Xuanhe Imperial Tablet.It is written by the emperor Song Huizong Zhao Ji.Its Slim Style of Calligraphy is vigorous and pretty，which also has great reference value for the study of Taoism and its calligraphy.
Jiongzhuo Pavilion was built because of the two springs drilled by Su Dongpo during Shaosheng period in the Northern Song Dynasty.At that time，Lu Gongpin，the executive of Qiong County，drank the water of Fusu Spring and praised for its sweet taste.He constructed the pavilion near the spring，and frequently invited friends and fellows to come to sip tea and compose poetry.In June of Yuanfu third year（1100），Su Dongpo was absolved，and he returned to the north and lodged at Jinsu Temple again.Lu Gongpin invited him to name this pavilion and compose a poem for it.Su Dongpo gladly complied and improvised the poem”Jiongzhuo Pavilion and Its Poem”.
Let’s walk down the steps of Two-Fubo Temple to visit Qiong Garden.Themost famous sight spot of Qiong Garden is Fusu Spring.According to the presentation，when Su Dongpo lodged at Jinsu Temple，he saw the local people drink turbid water.After careful exploration，he found underground springs here and guided people to dig two wells，which is the”two springs drilled by Su Dongpo”recorded in Local Records.One named Jinsu Spring has passed into oblivion，and the other is this one we are seeing now.The water of Fusu Spring is cold and sweet，and has a vigorous source.Although nearly a thousand yearhas elapsed，through severe droughts or floods，the spring has never dried up but keeps a constant water level.It is said that one going to the spring to get water can stamp the ground，if the water bubbles continuously from the bottom，he or she will have a great fortune and a better life in the coming year.The water is analyzed to be mineral water，with a variety of minerals needed by the body.
Another important sight spot that should be mentioned is the Wugongci Exhibition Museum.It is a reproduction of ancient building sitting opposite to the Temple for Five Officials across a bridge.With 8 exhibition halls，covering a construction area of 4，200 square meters，the museum was built and opened tothe public in 1996.Besides the historic relics and remnants from Hainan，the butterfly paintings，and artistic photos，Chinese paintings，etc.are also exhibited all year round.
In fact，the Temple for Five Officials has been long renowned for its peaceful atmosphere and its ancient architectural style with stone plated roads winding through the big trees.The fine life-like granite states of the five famoushistorical figures inside the mansion，and the big tablet on which were the famous words in Slim Style of Calligraphy by Song Huizhong，the Emperor of the Song Dynasty，add to the attractions of the temple.
