Yonglian Temple Introduction
Yonglian Temple is located at the intersection of Dexing Street and Chenggong Road in the center of Luzhou District, named "Yonglian" due to its location in the Lotus Hole. Luzhou was formerly known as "Monk's Mound" because the land was historically managed by monks, hence the name "Monk's Island." The main deity enshrined in the main hall is the statue of Guanyin of the South Sea, accompanied by Shancai, Longnv, Weitou, and Kalanda as guardian deities, making it a center of faith for locals. The overall structure is a combined temple of Yonglian Temple in the front and Maode Palace in the back. The decorations both inside and outside the temple primarily use techniques such as cut clay sculpture, painting, wood carving, and stone carving, with the most unique technique being the numerous heavenly musicians known as Queqi, which are particularly rare in other temples. In front of the back hall, Maode Palace, there is a bronze relief covering the wall that primarily depicts historical events related to Zheng Chenggong. This decorative method uses large modern-style bronze reliefs. On either side of the entrance, there are two Buddhist guardian deities, with Weitou on the left holding a pestle and Kalanda on the right holding a spear tower, each approximately one meter tall. Yonglian Temple began as a small thatched hut but underwent renovations within just 10 years, experiencing four rebuilds to become the resplendent temple it is today. Every year, from the 17th to the 19th day of the ninth lunar month, commonly known as the "Buddha's Ordination Anniversary," Yonglian Temple holds grand celebrations; especially on the 18th, a ceremonial procession takes place, generally referred to as the "Luzhou Great Worship," where various temple groups from around participate, making it an especially lively local event every year.
