Yong'an Temple Introduction
Yongan Temple faces southeast to northwest, featuring a spacious temple area of over 300 ping, constructed in a three-bay, five-gate layout. The front hall's roof is adorned with twin dragons facing the immortals, with deities riding on a green dragon. The middle and lower eaves display colorful phoenixes spreading their wings, while the characters are vividly portrayed. The two side eaves exhibit leaping green dragons, full of spirit, with colorful dragon and phoenix decorations, and singular dragon columns supporting the red platform, interspersed with figures of humans and birds. The octagonal column bases and the walls depict a scene of countless deities, vividly animated. The main deity in the middle hall is the Heavenly Mother, while the rear hall enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the second floor is dedicated to the gods and Buddhas of Buddhism and Taoism. Visitors to Yongan Temple can not only appreciate the rich paper-cut art but also discover some interesting details. For instance, inside the temple, a plaque on the flower cover of the worship hall hangs bearing the phrase "Perpetual Blessings and Safety," symbolizing the spirit of Yongan. Additionally, the couplets at the entrance contain hidden joys; they read: "Saintly virtue harmonizes with heaven, vast ocean of grace deepens perpetually, motherly virtues honor the empress, tranquility of the Yangtze River celebrates peace." This couplet differs from the usual hidden names of temples, as combining the first characters of each line does not yield "Yongan," but rather "Holy Mother," while the temple name is concealed in the penultimate character, succinctly highlighting the main deity being worshipped and the location.
