Huiyang Ersheng Temple

Thick smoke from burning cypress branches drifts across the courtyard of Huiyang Ersheng Temple, carrying prayers to two ancient figures: Guan Yu, the martial deity, and Shennong, the father of agriculture. Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this sanctuary in Zhoutian Village has absorbed over two centuries of Hakka devotion and local bloodshed.

The temple grounds hold the echoes of profound human struggle. On September 11, 1911, revolutionary forces stormed these exact coordinates during the Xinhai Revolution. Captain Chen Jing fell here, his blood staining the earth as his troops captured the strategic stronghold. By the late 1920s, the courtyard transformed into a stage for the Communist Youth League. Young activists stood among the crowds at public fairs, their voices rising over the din as they distributed leaflets and urged local youth to join the agrarian revolution.

Time and conflict wore the original structure down. In 1995, the villagers of Zhoutian pooled their own money to rebuild the temple from the ground up, ensuring their traditions survived. Today, the most significant gathering occurs on the 28th day of the first lunar month. Villagers prepare elaborate offerings of pork, chicken, and salted fish, alongside delicate paper sedans and gold mountains. A female elder, known as the Nv Xin Shi, leads the encircling the dragon ritual. She sings Hakka mountain songs and waves a red wooden stick, guiding a procession through four bamboo-and-paper doors representing the cardinal directions. Young men follow closely, hoisting a ceremonial Qilin high into the air.

The ceremony concludes with the communal sharing of longevity rice. Neighbors sit shoulder-to-shoulder at long banquet tables, using the shared meal to talk through old grievances and mend fractured relationships. Every ten years, the temple expands this intimacy into a massive Jiao festival, illuminating the village with hundreds of glowing lanterns. The Ersheng Temple remains a living space where history, faith, and community continually renew themselves.