Temple of the Five Immortals
The legendary origin place of Guangzhou's nickname 'Goat City': legend has it that in the Zhou dynasty five immortals riding five-colored goats and carrying ears of grain—six from a single stem—descended on Chuting; after bestowing the grain as a blessing, the immortal goats turned to stone, giving Guangzhou its nicknames 'Goat City' and 'Ear-of-Grain City'
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- 09:00-17:00 · closed Mondays
- Ticket
- Free
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
The legendary origin place of Guangzhou's nickname 'Goat City': legend has it that in the Zhou dynasty five immortals riding five-colored goats and carrying ears of grain—six from a single stem—descended on Chuting; after bestowing the grain as a blessing, the immortal goats turned to stone, giving Guangzhou its nicknames 'Goat City' and 'Ear-of-Grain City'. Inside the temple, the Ming-dynasty 'First Tower of Lingnan' hangs a 'Forbidden Bell' weighing some 10,000 jin (about 5 tons), which is hung but never rung, hence the name. The rear hall survives as Ming-era architecture, and the 'Immortal's Thumbprint' on Poshan Hill is a relic of erosion by the ancient Pearl River. Free admission, closed Mondays—the essential starting point for understanding the founding myth of Guangzhou.
Getting there: Metro Line 1, Ximenkou Station
Photos
More in Guangzhou
- Canton Tower
The 'slim waist' twisting tower with a ferris wheel on top.
- Shamian Island
European trading concession with neoclassical facades along the Pearl River.
- Chen Clan Ancestral Hall
Lingnan architecture masterpiece with brick, wood and lime carvings.
- Baiyun Mountain
The city's green lung; cable car views over Guangzhou.
- Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Chen Clan Academy)
A joint-clan ancestral hall and academy built 1888–1894 with funds pooled by Chen family clans from 72 counties of Guangdong, it is the largest and most lavishly decorated surviving ancestral-hall building in Lingnan: wood, brick and stone carving (the "three carvings"), ceramic and lime sculpture (the "two sculptures"), plus bronze and iron casting and colored painting, together known as the "…
- Yongqing Fang · Cantonese Opera Art Museum
A model of "micro-renewal" in the historic Enning Road district of Liwan (launched 2016): qilou arcade buildings and Xiguan mansions restored to their old look, now home to creative shops, cafes and intangible-heritage studios; the Bruce Lee ancestral home has a display in one of the alleys — old-street charm and youthful energy coexist.