Sanyuan Palace

Sanyuan Palace is located within the Xianggangshan Community of Liurong Subdistrict, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the prefect of Nanhai, Bao Jing, built it for his daughter, calling it Yuegang Courtyard. It was renamed Wuxing Temple during the Tang Dynasty. It was rebuilt during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. In the sixteenth year of the Ming Chongzhen era (1643), the main hall was expanded, and it was renamed Sanyuan Palace because it was dedicated to the Three Primes, who are Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, and Emperor Yu, also known as the 'Three Officials': the Heavenly Official of the Upper Prime, the Earthly Official of the Middle Prime, and the Water Official of the Lower Prime. It was repaired multiple times during the Qing Xianfeng era. In the seventh year of Qing Tongzhi (1868), the Sanyuan Treasure Hall was rebuilt. In 1978, it underwent a large-scale renovation and has continued to be maintained since then. The existing total area of the various halls is about 2,000 square meters. The complex faces south with a north orientation, and along the central axis, there are sequentially the mountain gate, worship corridor, Sanyuan Treasure Hall, and Laojun Treasure Hall. The mountain gate stands on more than 40 steps and was built in the fifty-first year of Qianlong (1786). The stone lintel is inscribed with 'Sanyuan Palace', and on both sides, there are stone couplets that read 'Sanyuan ancient observatory, a famous mountain in Baiyue', and the bottom of the ridge purlin is engraved with 'The Great Qing Tongzhi seventh year Wuchen (1868) mid-spring' and other characters. It is the oldest and one of the largest Taoist temples in the Lingnan region. It is a Guangzhou municipal cultural relics protection unit.