The gate of the Temple of the Queen of Heaven (Qingdao Folk Custom Museum) in Shinan district, Qingdao [Photo/WeChat account: qdrbwlzx]

The Temple of the Queen of Heaven (Qingdao Folk Custom Museum) in Shinan district, Qingdao is a cluster of buildings constructed in 1467, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). With a history of over 500 years, it is the oldest temple of its kind which has been preserved to this day in the city.

The temple, west of Trestle Bridge, next to the Little Qingdao and the Signal Hill Park, and facing the sea, is recognized as a unique landmark of the city.

It originally consisted of only three major halls and two side halls, but after seven extensions and renovations, it now has 16 halls and over 80 rooms, covering an area of nearly 4,000 square meters.

The temple adopts China's traditional axis-type architectural layout. The 2.8-meter-high statue of Mazu (the Queen of Heaven) in the main hall is made from camphorwood and is one of the largest woodcarving statues in the world.

The theater in the center of the front courtyard is the first place in the city to begin giving performances. Two huge gingko trees have been growing behind the temple for over 500 years.

The temple was turned into a folk culture museum in 1997 and opened to the public in December 1998.