Henan Kaifeng Guchuitai Temple, China

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Guchuitai Temple

The Guchuitai Temple lies on the Fanta East Street in Kaifeng City in Henan Province, the Huanghe River was flowing through this place in ancient times.

Legends say that when Da Yu regulated rivers and watercourses in Xia Dynasty, he once lived here, so it also called "the Yuwangtai Temple".

There is a Yuwang Temple on the Guchuitai, in the temple there are 5 halls, which are grand and magnificent. Inside the halls there are the statues of Da Yuwang and the paintings of regulating rivers and watercourses with characters: several thousand years ago, the Huanghe River was flooding and people were living on the edge of starvation.

Da Yu left home in order to completely solve the disasters brought by flood every year, he lived here for a very long time and was engaged in opening rivers and drawing water to flow separately for the common people. Therefore, "Da Yu regulating rivers and watercourses" left eternal good words in Chinese history.

Why it is not only called "the Yuwangtai Temple", but also called "the Guchuitai Temple"? It was mainly because in north Liang times of Nan Bei Dynasty that the King of Liang times, who loved music very much attached great weight to the blind musician named Shikuang. Who is the music master in Jin country of Spring and Autumn Times, Shikuang once played instruments and performed music here.

The beautiful melody reeling the beams letting people unforgettable for three days, so the King of Liang times selected this place and built a Chuitai in order to give regards to this blind music master with consummate musical technology.

To the Yongle Year of Ming Dynasty, the Yuwang Temple was built on the Guchuitai to show the respects to the Da Yu. Who regulated rivers and watercourses, so it is not only called "the Guchuitai Temple", but also called "the Yuwangtai Temple". While in Kangxi Year of Ch'ing Dynasty, the halls and temples on the Guchuitai were repaired in a large scale and four carved stones with "Xun Lou" on the northern wall.

The Yuwangtai Temple changed into a park now. Beside the Yuwang Temple people design garden, plant many flowers and trees, now the environment of the Yuwang Park is very elegant and the visitors are coming and going in an endless stream.

Inside the Yuwang Temple, the three famous literates - Libai, Dufu and Gaoshi in Tang Dynasty are worshipping, it is combined and called "Three Virtuous Ancestral Hall". Later the two poets - Limengyang and Hejingming were added and it is called "Five Virtuous Ancestral Hall". Later Gaoziye whose essays were attached great weight was again added and it is called "Six Virtuous Ancestral Hall" till now.

No matter what it's called, "the Yuwangtai Temple" or "the Guchuitai Temple", there enshrined is not God Buddha and without mythology legends background. But enshrined the people who were once influenced deeply on the aspects of spirit culture and economic advantage in Chinese long history. Due to their achievements, they are worth people worshipping, so this is the necessity place for the people traveling Kaifeng.