Ancient Niangniang Temple is located on Xima Dao Street, separated from Wenshu Yuan by just one wall. It was built earlier than Wenshu Yuan and was the family temple of Liu Bei.
During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Ancient Niangniang Temple was rebuilt. However, it suffered a great disaster during the Cultural Revolution. Now only the Hall of the Three Views remains. It is another Taoist temple in Chengdu, besides Qingyang Palace.
The original name of the Ancient Niangniang Temple was Guangsheng Palace, which was first built during the Shu Han period. It was originally the imperial ancestral temple of Liu Bei’s family. When the Wei army approached Chengdu, Liu Shan, the later emperor, followed the strategy of Jiao Zhou, a court official, and ordered to surrender. His son, Liu Chen, the Prince of Beidi, was determined to save the country but was reluctant to act unfilially.
In great anger, he wept and sacrificed to his ancestors in the imperial ancestral temple. Princess Cui Niangniang and her children committed suicide to show their loyalty. Liu Chen, the Prince of Beidi, came to the tomb of his grandfather, Emperor Zhaolie (Huiling), sacrificed with his head, and then drew his sword and committed suicide to die for the country.
Later, people enshrined and commemorated Princess Cui Niangniang, and the custom of “seeing off Niangniang” on the third day of the third lunar month was formed, thus giving the temple its name.
The opening hours are from 08:00 to 17:00 throughout the year.
