Temple of the Slayer of the Dragon Fulong Guan

At the northern tip of a small island in the river, on a mound at the mouth of the ''Neck of the Precious Bottle'' canal, stands another building of historic importance, the Temple of the Slayer of the Dragon (Fulong Guan). According to legend, the reason the Minjiang river had flooded its banks so often was that a wicked dragon had its lair in the waters. Li Bing and his son succeeded in chaining the dragon so that there was no longer any fear of floods. It is uncertain when the first temple was built here in honor of the slayer of the dragon; it is only known that the present building dates from the Qing period (1644-1911). The impressive stone statue of Li Bing dates from the year 168; it stands 2m/9.5ft) high, weighs 4.5 tonnes, and was salvaged from the river in 1974. An inscription on the breast shows the year and month in which it was sculpted.