Heritage of Xiguan explained

Numerous designated cultural heritage sites are located in Xiguan, China.

National Cultural Heritage Sites

There are two Major Sites Protected at the National Level in Xiguan:

• Architectural complex on Shamian Island
• Chen Clan Academy

Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites

There are 3 Provincial Cultural Heritages in Xiguan:

• Guangya Academy
• Guangdong Postal Building
• Guangdong Customs House

Municipal Cultural Heritage Sites

There are 13 Municipal Cultural Heritages in Xiguan:

• Hall of the Arhats in Hualin Temple
• Martyrs Memorial Monument of Shaji Massacre
• Renwei Temple
• Old pawnshop on Huagui Lu
• Taihua Building
• Xiguan Residences
• Archaeological site of Barbican and West City Gate of Guangzhou in Ming Dynasty (Ximenkou or West Gate)
• Jinlun Guild Hall
• Nanfang Building (or Nanfang Mansion)
• Old pawnshop on Zhongshan Qilu
• Old residential buildings
• Huang Baojian's stone house
• Five-mouthed Wells

Hualin Temple

Hualin Temple is located in Hualinsi Qianjie, Xilai Chudi, Xiajiu Lu . Its predecessor was Xilai Buddhist Convent, set up during Emperor Wu of Liang years (20s, 6th century), Southern and Northern Dynasties by an Indian eminent monk, Bodhidharma, after he set up an altar to preach Buddhism. In 1655 (12th year of Shunzhi Emperor, Qing Dynasty), Zen Master Zongfu initiated its rehabilitation and changed its name to Hualin Temple. There used to be an Gilded Ashoka Pagoda and 500 Arhats' statues but some of them were destroyed afterwards.

Renwei temple

Locate at front street of Renwei Temple, Longjin West Rd. It is in the old Bantang village, around 2,200 square kilometers area. The temple is for Zhenwu Emperor of Taoism, originally named Beidi Temple. It established in 1052 and it was the largest temple by the period. The government used to repair it in 1622, 1736 - 1795 and 1862 - 1874.

Five-mouthed Wells

Five-mouthed Wells, alternatively known as, lie next to Hualin Temple.

Taihua Building

Taihua Building is located at No.27, Duobao Fang, Enning Lu. It used to be the study of Li Wentian, the Tanhua during Xianfeng Emperor years, Qing Dynasty. The building had a collection of 100 thousand books, some of which were lost during Second Sino-Japanese War . Moreover, some of the calligraphy works and paintings were taken away during Cultural Revolution .

Registered Cultural Heritage Sites

There are 11 Registered Cultural Heritages in Xiguan:^[1]

• Wen Tower
• Liang Clan Ancestral Hall
• Stele at Qinghao Archaic office of Wenlan Academy
• Stele at Permanent Senate of Senior Official Lu who initiated Yue (Guangdong)
• Taotaoju Tea House
• Lianxianglou Tea House
• Taying Building
• Former site of Lingnan Institute of Art & Literature
• Guangzhou Restaurant
• Panxi Restaurant
• Xiehe Hall

Wen Tower

With a height of 13 meters, the Wen Tower stands in Pantang, which used to be the flowery orchard of King Liu in Southern Han . It was built to enshrine and worship Wenquxing sometime between Mid-Ming Period and Early Qing.

Heritage preservation measures

Cultural Heritages Management Office of Liwan District was founded in 1998.

The Cultural Heritages Preservation Liaison System among the District, Subdistricts and residential communities was founded in 2001.

Liwan Government had invested funds of totally 59.383 million RMB yuan to preserve cultural heritages by 2001.

Notes and References

1. http://www.gzwh.gov.cn/whw/channel/whmc/wwjz/gzdjbhww/index.htm List of Registered Cultural Heritages in Guangzhou