Now in Haikou, Hainan Province. I dropped by the 800 year old Mazu Temple in the historic Deshengsha area (buildings of mix Western and Chinese architecture built by returning Overseas Hainanese in the late 19th and early 20th centuries) of downtown Haikou. Built in the Yuan Dynasty and officially listed as a Grade 2 Provincial level heritage site, the temple now comes threat from developers and unsympathetic officials. Despite its official protected status, the City authorities have sold the main hall of the temple to a warehouse operators. The temple continues to operate from a side hall next to the locked up old building. We have all read about the rapid economic transformation and resulting land grab and wholesale destruction of historical sites. Let's hope for the best for this ancient temple. |
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