Temple of Five Lords (Wugong Ci)

The Temple of Five Lords is a memorial to five officials from the Tang and Song dynasties located to the southeast of the city of Haikou on the island of Hainan. It was renovated on several occasions during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Now, it is a place known for its sense of peace, tranquility and beauty.

During the times of these dynasties, Hainan was perceived as a remote part of the empire and was used as a place for banishment for disgraced court officials. All five officials commemorated at the temple encountered such a fate, typically after losing power struggles within the imperial court. After many years of renovation and development, the existing Temple of Five Lords are now an attractive ancient architectural complex that mainly include the Five Lords Ancestral Hall, the Sugong Memorial Temple, Hairui and Fubo memorial temples, Guanjia Tang (Watching Crop Hall) and Xuepu Tang (Studying Hall). They cover an area of about 2,800 square meters (about 0.69 acres).

The temple's main building is the Five Lords Ancestral Hall. It is a red two-story wooden structure that stands more than 9 m meters tall and has a total floor space of 560 square meters. A historical inscription on a board placed over the front entrance on the second floor declares it the "first building in Hainan". The earliest buildings of the complex were erected during the reign of Wanli Emperor (1572–1620) of the Ming Dynasty. The main hall houses the vivid and lifelike stone statues of the five prestigious officials. On the inner pillars, there are two much praised couplets which visitors, having learnt about the background of the five officials, cannot help but admire. Additionally, a stone tablet that is carved with calligraphy inscriptions of Emperor Huizong, from the Song Dynasty, is also displayed in the temple.

Sugong Temple, located in the east of Temple of Five Lords, is another fascinating destination. Su Dongpo was one of the greatest poets of the Song Dynasty. He dug two springs for the locals when he heard that they were finding it difficult to get water supplies. Hence the local people constructed a temple to commemorate his contribution to their community. One of the springs still exists even to this day.

On the right of the Temple of Five Lords, there is a peaceful yard where fresh flowers and thriving trees are planted. There are two main buildings here. One, the Xuepu Tang (literally Gardening Study Hall), is the old site where the famous scholar Guo Wanxiang often gave lectures. The other is Wugong Jingshe (West Hall), which is where the students of the Hainan Province, (at the end of the Qing Dynasty) learned historical works and poems. 

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