South Sea God Temple

In Miaotou Village there is South Sea God Temple, well-known to the region, it is the place where kings and emperors paid tribute to the sea in ancient times. Having been renovated and rebuilt in the ages, it has become a grand temple, taking a No. 1 place in Sea God Temples, and the only one that have been well preserved intact.

South Sea God Temple is also called Pineapple Temple. About the origin of the name there are many legends.

One legend goes like that in 520-527 AD one man called Dharsi, a third brother of the eminent monk Dharma accompanied the latter from India to China by the sea silk road. Dharsi came to South Sea God Temple, and paid homage to South Sea God. The abbot knew that he was a brother of the eminent monk of India, and had acquired some miraculous feats, entreated him to stay in the Temple to help him manage South Sea . Well aware of the sincerity of South Sea God, he stayed there. Faithfully performing his duty, he went to the seaside to observe the coming and going of the ships, the change of weather on the sea. Later he stood petrified on the seashore. People made a statue of him on the left side of the Temple in his memory.

Another legend is that in the Tang Dynasty(618-907A.D.), the ancient country of Pineapple (or Magadha) sent some seamen to China. On his way back he passed by South Sea God Temple and he went in to pay homage, there he planted some seeds of pineapples. He was so fascinated by the scene around the Temple that he forgot about his journey. Therefore he missed the ship home. He cried on the seashore, with his hand shading over the eyes, looking afar, in the hope that the ship might come back to fetch him. He died petrified on the seashore. People regarded his as a goodwill messenger from the sea silk road and gave him a suitable funeral. And they made a statue of him in Chinese robe, with his left hand on the forehead, which was worshipped in the Temple. As he was from the country of pineapples, and planted pineapple trees in the Temple, expecting ships from that country to take him home. So the Temple was later called Pineapple Temple.

How to get there:
Add: Miaotou Village, Nangang, Huangpu, Guangzhou
         广州黄埔南岗庙头村
Bus: No. 210、214、242(Quick Line)、242、292、504、506、560、561、566、568、569、570、571、571A、883、884, South Sea Shenmiao Station (South Sea God Temple Station), it takes approximately one and a half hour by bus from downtown, or half an hour by taxi.
 

Source: www.investguangzhou.gov.cn

Editor: Harry Bai