The Story of Houshan Temple

Author: Li Jinguang, Zhang Miao, Wang Shuai

Narrator: Grandpa Lu Yishan, Grandpa Yu Wenshen

Brief Introduction

Liu Xiu was the emperor in the Han Dynasty. A minister named Wang Mang rebelled and tried to kill Liu Xiu. An old lady saved Liu Xiu. When Liu Xiu became the emperor, he built a temple to commemorate the lady. This is how Housan Temple comes to be.

Story:

1. Emperor Liu Xiu was the descendent of Emperor Liu Bang. When Wang Mang rebelled and became the emperor, he wanted to kill Liu Xiu because he was afraid that Liu Xiu would take back the regal crown someday.

2. One day, Wang Mang chased after Liu Xiu to Hongya Mountain.

3. When Liu Xiu was almost caught by Wang Mang, he ran into an old lady.

4. The old lady asked Liu Xiu to lie down. She poured a bowl of rice to cover Liu Xiu, and then used her magic to change the rice into maggots.

5. When Wang Mang got there, he saw maggots crawling over Liu Xiu's body. He asked the old lady. She said. "Look, he is already dead." Wang Mang agreed and left.

6. Liu Xiu thanked the old lady and left later on.

7. When Liu Xiu finally became the emperor, he thought about the old lady. He built a temple to commemorate her.

Liuxiu: "I finally became emperor! Peace all around the world! I needed to decapitate all the betrayers!" I wanted to build a temple for the old lady who saved my life!

8. Knowing that the old lady saved Emperor Liu Xiu, a lot of people came to worship her in the temple. Meanwhile, March 15th became the Houshan Temple Fair because it was the day when the old lady met Emperor Liu Xiu.