Nansha Tianhou Palace

Located at No. 88 Tianhou Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, the Nansha Tianhou Palace, also known as the "Mazu Temple", is situated at the southeast foot of Dajiao Mountain, at the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and faces the Lingding Ocean at the mouth of the Pearl River, covering an area of 180,000 square meters. The predecessor of the Guangzhou Nansha Tianhou Palace was the ancient Tianfei Temple built in Lujiao Village during the Ming Dynasty, which was renamed Yuanjun Ancient Temple after renovation during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. It was destroyed by Japanese warplanes during the war of resistance and was rebuilt in 1994. The Guangzhou Nansha Tianhou Palace was built to commemorate the sea goddess Lin Mo and is a scenic area themed around Mazu culture. It serves as the cultural exchange center for Mazu culture in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and is also the largest Mazu temple in Southeast Asia. The palace adopts a symmetrical layout in the Qing architectural style, with buildings staggered along the mountain. Its architectural features combine the style of the Forbidden City in Beijing with the grandeur of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, making it the largest of its kind in the world today. The Guangzhou Nansha Tianhou Palace consists of three parts: the plaza, the palace, and the Nanling Tower. The "Eight Scenic Spots of Tianhou" include: Binhai Silver Beach facing the sunrise, the Colorful Spirit Path, Mazu's Spiritual Hairpin, the "Nansha People" site, the Linggong Blessing, the Nanling Sunset, the Anti-War Divine Cannon, and the Home of Silent Mother.