There is a lake in the northwest of Lili Ancient Town. When the lake is calm, the water surface is like a mirror, so that it is called Xihu Lake. There is an oasis in the lake. The temple on the oasis, commonly known as Town God’s Temple, is formally named Xihu Taoist Temple. The history of Xihu Taoist Temple can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. It was told that Li Ming, the fourteenth son of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, was firstly conferred the title of King of Cao and later served as Prefectural Governor of Suzhou. At the beginning of his term of service, the plague of locusts happened. Not a single grain was reaped. The masses have nothing to live on. Li Ming opened the national granary without permission for the reason that there’s not enough time to report to the throne. Later, a base person impeached him before the emperor. According to the law of the Tang Dynasty, he should be sentenced to decapitation. In order to avoid the dilemma of his father, Li Ming drowned himself in the Xihu Lake. Local villagers though of his kindness, worshiped his virtues, and built ancestral hall and statue for him.
