What attractions are there around Shengze, Wujiang?

Introduction to Shengze Attractions__Xiancan Temple Xiancan Temple, also known as Silkworm Flower Hall or Silkworm King Hall, is located at the intersection of Wulong Road in Shengze Town. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, it was built by Shengze silk merchants.

Our country has a fine tradition of worshiping ancestors and ancestors of the industry. The Xiancan Temple is a public temple for worshiping the ancestors of the silk industry. It is also the office of the Shengze Silk Industry Office and the Farmers Association.

Xiancan Temple is a classical temple-style building with majestic eaves and brackets on the front gate. Next to it is a figure-eight-shaped plain brick wall, which is simple and elegant. Beyond the gate is a small square, which was originally a gathering place for pilgrims. The plaque in the middle of the three arches is the name of the temple, and the words "Zhiyun" and "Xiujin" written on the upper sides of the two sides respectively reflect the prosperity of Shengze's silk industry at that time. Not far from the gatehouse is the theater building. The two sides of the theater building are connected with the wing buildings. The stage faces north, and the stone square below extends to the front of the main hall. The venue is wide and can accommodate ten thousand people.

The main hall is majestic and spacious, and is dedicated to the three statues of Xuanyuan, Shennong and Leizu, the ancestors of the Chinese nation. Everyone knows that Xuanyuan is the Yellow Emperor and Shennong is the agricultural ancestor of our country, also known as the Yan Emperor. The descendants of Yan and Huang are the descendants of these two. As for the ancient woman Lei Zu, who was the wife of the Yellow Emperor, she taught the people how to raise silkworms and reel silk. It can be said that she is the founder of my country's silk industry. This is most clearly expressed on the plaques on the temple that read "The silkworms left behind" and "The common people are clothed". In the past, before or during sericulture, villagers would go to the temple to worship and pray for the blessings of the gods and obtain a good harvest of silkworm cocoons. Therefore, in the past, the incense in the silkworm temple was very prosperous. Although you don't raise silkworms now, you are just here to visit, pay respects to your ancestors, and even bow, which is actually very meaningful.

To the southwest of the main hall, separated by the Moon Cave, there are three upper and three lower conference halls. During the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, there were nearly a hundred large and small silk shops in Shengze, with thousands of practitioners. You can imagine the grand occasion of gathering here to discuss matters. In front of the hall, there are pools, curved bridges, pavilions and corridors, trees, rocks and flowers, which are elegant and quiet, and have a unique cave.

As usual, the first day of Xiaoman Opera is Kun Opera, and the second and third days are Peking Opera, both of which invite famous actors from Jiangnan troupes to perform on the stage. The plays are all appointed by the leading figures of the Silk Industry Office, and the performances are all auspicious plays to bring good luck. Any play with an illegitimate child or a dead person in the plot is absolutely prohibited. Because "death", "private" and "Si" are homophonic, they are taboo. This is the same as today's people don't like the word "four", because they seek good luck and avoid evil. The states do have certain similarities.

In the old days, temples worshiping the Silkworm God could be found everywhere in the silkworm areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but the Shengze Xian Silkworm Temple was the most magnificent and famous. Nowadays, similar ancestral temples in various places in the south of the Yangtze River have disappeared. It can be said that the Shengze Silkworm Ancestral Temple is the only one left. It is now listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Jiangsu Province.