Chongqing News
Information about Luzu Temple (Luzumiao)
2019-09-09 09:33:51
An old building in Luzumiao
Luzu Temple over a hundred years
The Shangqing Temple has disappeared, then what about Luzu Temple? Li Zhengquan, a Chongqing folk-custom expert said that Luzu Temple was located at the entrance of Minsheng Road, where the Minguo Market is located now. Though the temple disappeared, some buildings are still there.
You can taste unique hot pot and Chongqing delicacies here. You can see a different scene downstairs. There are many amusements like Chongqing Pub, Minguo Teahouse and Luzu Local Opera. Tao Lian, over 60 years old, used to be a media worker and businessman. Six years ago, he decided to stay here. He said that Luzumiao, with a hundred-year history, is a street famous for the temple and also the best-preserved street in Jiefangbei.
Tao Lian introduced that, a hundred years ago, Luzumiao, located at the ridge of Yuzhong Peninsula, was a wasteland. As Chongqing opened as a port, many businessmen gathered here, making areas near wharves and along rivers rare, so they began to look for a space to run their business. Then many buildings were to be constructed, making carpenters and other craftsmen gradually important workers for the change. In 1911, Luzu Temple was constructed on Minsheng Road donated by the Carpentry Association.
According to old men living nearby, the Luzu Temple was built for consecrating Lu Ban and several of his disciples. A two-floor building was built on both sides of the temple. A yard was formed in the middle and a stage was put up in the front of it.
Based on the memory, Tao Lian drew a picture of thriving Luzu Temple. Luzu Temple on the picture creates a quite busy scene. Local opera is performed on the stage. People are worshiping Lu Ban devoutly. Tao Lian said that Luzu Temple was one of the grand temples for the worship of Lu Ban in China.
Luzumiao used to be a street filled with bookstores
Tao Lian said that two walls downstairs are the remains of Luzu Temple survived in the war. He said that during the Anti-Japanese War, Japanese aircrafts bombed Chongqing. Areas near Jiefangbei and Jiaochangkou were completely ruined, while shops near the temple remained.
Though the temple was survived in the war, its function for worship gradually disappeared for the construction of Luzumiao Primary School and Minshenglu Primary School. Some construction materials in the temple were used for other purposes.
Tao introduced that according to Chinese traditions, objects were buried beneath large buildings such as temples. So there should be a secret beneath the temple, which is also an interesting part of Luzu Temple.
It was also a street filled with bookstores. The first building on Luzumiao Street was the “World Journal Bookstore” in the 1930s and 1940s, which was one of the largest cultural activity places in Chongqing at that time. On the painting of Luzu Temple, there are many shops like youth book shop, newspaper office and printing office. Luzu Temple was located at Minsheng Road, which was once the street filled with bookstores in Chongqing. Around the Chongqing Branch of the World Journal Bookstore on Luzumiao Street, there were at least 20 bookstores, including Fuxing Bookstore, Wanguang Bookstore, Youth Bookstore and China Bookstore. (Translated by Mao Qiao, Fathom Language Limited)
Editor:Jiang Yiwei