Wuxian Taoist Temple

The Wuxian Taoist Temple, which was built to commemorate five immortals, is a historically famous Taoist temple in Guangzhou City.

Legend has it that: one day, five immortals fly toward Guangzhou, each of them holding some corns in hand and riding on a goat. After their arrival, they present the corns to the local residents and fly away. However the five goats suddenly become stones and stay there forever. In order to commemorate the benefaction of the five immortals, late generations constructed the immortal temple and named it as the Wuxian Taoist Temple (the Taoist Temple of the Five Immortals).  Guangzhou was therefore also called as Yangcheng (the Goat City). 

Some Taoists cultivated themselves in the temple as early as before the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The location of the Wuxian Taoist Temple had been moved many times in the history. The imperial courts after the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) carried out several large-scale repairs.

The Wuxian Taoist Temple covered an area of 4,600 square meters in 1923. The Guangzhou municipal government of that time gave the order to auction the Wuxian Taoist Temple in order to raise soldier's pay and provision. As a result, a social community purchased it and the Taoists in the temple were therefore dismissed. The original site of the temple is under the special protection of the Guangzhou municipal government.