City of the gods

South China Sea God Temple

The envoy stayed too long. He literally missed the boat. He was stranded.

So goes the legend of a diplomatic official from the Pala Empire, who overstayed while worshiping at the South China Sea God Temple.

He was struck by the holy site's magnificence and lost track of time. He'd also planted two pineapples he'd brought from his homeland as tribute.

Upon realizing he'd lingered too long, he rushed to the port to discover his ship had left without him. So, he stood, gazing at the shore, hoping the vessel would return, for the rest of his life.

He was given a grand funeral and posthumously granted the Chinese title of Lord of Daxi. A stone statue of him dressed as a local official was erected.

And his pineapples continued to grow after his passing－h(huán)ence, the place is sometimes colloquially called the Pineapple Temple.

The 1,400-year-old holy site is the only one of China's four ancient sea-god temples remaining.

The temple also played a major role as a Maritime Silk Road port.

Ships left from here for such faraway destinations as the Persian Gulf, Africa and western Asia.

It was also the terminus of a trade route that opened with Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1731.

But the Gotheborg trade ship struck a reef and sank 900 meters off Sweden's coast while returning from its third voyage in 1745.

A replica set sail for Guangzhou in 2005 upon the decree of King Carl Gustaf XVI and Queen Silvia.

The royals and then Chinese president Hu Jintao, plus a crowd of thousands, attended the ship's ceremonial arrival.

The monarchs visited the temple to make sacrifices to the ocean, and pray for peace and prosperity for both nations－and safe seafaring for all.

Indeed, it suggests Guangzhou's heavenly hosts' power extends beyond the city to many lands－and even oceans－throughout the country to the world.