Wanshou Palace rises from ruins to reclaim cultural, commercial status
Renovation and reconstruction project sheds light on fascinating history of Jiangxi guilds
Legendary beginnings
At the center of the block is the reconstructed Wanshou Palace, also known as Tiezhu Wanshou Palace, a famous Taoist temple originally built during the Jin Dynasty (265-420).
At the time, Jiangxi was plagued by floods. Local legends told of a Taoist master, Xu Xun, who eased the situation by chaining to an iron pillar an evil dragon causing the disturbances.
After taming the floods, Xu was deified as the "God of Blessings" and locals built Tiezhu Wanshou Palace, or Iron Pillar Longevity Palace, in his honor.
During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties Jiangxi merchants' guilds expanded the area into a commercial site.
"Wanshou Palace emerged from the people's worship of Xu, thrived because of the court's respect for Xu's contributions, and prospered due to the migration of merchants from Jiangxi," said Mei Lianhua, chief cultural consultant for the Wanshou Palace Historical and Cultural Block. "This was facilitated by the widespread influence of Jiangxi merchants' guilds both nationally and internationally."
