Yong'an Temple Introduction
Yong'an Temple faces southeast towards the northwest, with a spacious temple ground of over 300 ping, featuring a three-section design with five gates. The front hall is adorned with twin dragons facing the immortal, while the deity is depicted riding a green dragon. The two descending ridges are embellished with colorful phoenixes, vividly rendered, with two green dragons soaring on either side, exuding vitality. The ridge decorations include colorful dragons and phoenixes, with a single dragon column supporting the red terrace, interspersed with figures of humans and birds, featuring octagonal column bases and walls depicting the artistic array of myriad immortals, lifelike in detail. The main deity in the central hall is the Heavenly Mother, while the inner hall worships Guanyin Bodhisattva. The second floor is dedicated to Buddhist and Taoist deities. Visitors to Yong'an Temple can not only admire the rich cut-paste artworks but also find some interesting details. For instance, upon entering the temple, a plaque hanging on the worship hall's floral cover reads "Eternal Blessings for Peace," symbolizing the spirit of Yong'an. Additionally, the couplets at the entrance contain hidden fun points; the couplet reads: "The holy virtues match the heavens, bestowing deep grace akin to the vast sea and a tranquil celebration of peace like the Yangtze River." This couplet is unique in that, unlike the common form where the first characters spell out the temple name, the first characters of the upper and lower couplets do not combine to form "Yong'an," but instead invoke "Holy Mother," with the temple name cleverly hidden in the penultimate character, succinctly highlighting the main deity worshiped and the location.
