King Qians’ Temple of Loyalty

On the eastern shore of West Lake lies the complex of Temple to King Qians. It borders the park of “Orioles Singing in the Willows”. Together with four of his children, the famous King Qian Liu (852-932), the founder of the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907- 979), is buried here - a fitting location for a man who made his capital in Hangzhou and who conscripted thousands of subjects to dredge the lake next to which he now rests. Outside the temple stands his statue in bronze, depicting this awe-inspiring general who contributed a lot to protect his deeply religious kingdom from nomads from the north.

Inside the temple, rooms filled with paintings and sculptures spread around two courtyards. In the second and larger courtyard, a giant vessel stands in front of the actual memorial to the long-dead ruler. Each year, a life-size and vivid engraving representing the animal of the year will be exhibited.

Famous Stories of King Qian

In the past, the tidal waters of the Qiantang River burst its banks, severely affecting Hangzhou's development. According to historical records, in the fourth year of Kaiping (910 AD), King Qian Liu of Wuyue used the "stone-filled bamboo cages and wooden piles method" to construct seawalls outside Houchao Gate and Tongjiang Gate in Hangzhou. This method involved weaving strips of bamboo into cages, filling the cages with stones, stacking them on the beach to form a seawall, then driving thick stakes in front and behind the seawall to reinforce it, and laying large stones on top of them. This type of seawall, unlike earthen seawalls, can withstand tidal erosion, is relatively sturdy, and features good anti-tidal properties. The seawalls built by King Qian alleviated the threat of tidal invasion to Hangzhou and ensured the development of agriculture, commerce, and other industries in the city. In the sixth month of the third year of Yongzheng's reign of the Qing Dynasty, Qian Liu was given the title of King Chengying Wusu by the Qing court for his merit in building seawalls and became recognized by the court as a god of the sea and worshipped by the people.

There are many scenic spots in Hangzhou related to King Qian. In 923 AD, King Qian Liu established the State of Wuyue and chose Hangzhou as its capital. He formulated national policies to ensure the safety of the state and the people. The people of Hangzhou lived and worked in peace and contentment during his reign. When the Northern Song Dynasty intended to unify the Central Plains, for the safety of the people, the reigning King Qian ultimately chose to surrender to the Song Dynasty to avoid war. Therefore, later generations established a temple to commemorate the kindness of the Qian King. The Qian King's great deed of returning the land to the Song Dynasty ensured the safety of the people in Jiangnan region. The surname, Qian, has also been passed down for thousands of years, and many Qian-surnamed talents came forth in large numbers. There are many famous writers, scientists and politicians with the surname of Qian both domestically and internationally, most of whom came from this family.

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