Mount Tai 泰山

Mount Tai, ranking first among the Five Great Mountains, was ancient name the Eastern Yue. It is located in central Shandong, China, stretching across Tai'an, Jinan, and Zibo cities. It is approximately 200 kilometers long from east to west and 50 kilometers wide from north to south. Its main peak, Jade Emperor Summit, stands at an altitude of 1532.7 meters.

Mount Tai is famous for its magnificent scenery. The overlapping mountain ranges, the solid form, the setting of green pines and huge rocks, and the changing clouds and mists make it both grand and bright, and peaceful yet magical. Since ancient times, Mount Tai has been a thriving place for Taoism. Taoist activities have continued throughout the dynasties, resulting in numerous temples. There are still more than 20 well-preserved Taoist temples, including Dai Temple belonging to the Longmen Huashan Sect, Wangmu Pool, Bixia Temple, Jade Emperor Pavilion, and Jade Emperor Temple belonging to the Longmen Sect, as well as Sanyang Temple and Guandi Temple belonging to the Yunxu Sect of Ancestor Tieguai.

Bixia Temple is located on the south side of the summit of Mount Tai. It was first built in the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (1009). Originally named Zhaozhen Temple, it was called "Zhaozhen View" in the Jin Dynasty. During the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty (1488 - 1505), it was renamed "Bixia Lingying Palace", also known as "Bixia Lingyou Palace". After reconstruction in the 35th year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1770), it was renamed "Bixia Temple" and has been used ever since.

In the main hall, there is a gilded bronze sitting statue of Bixia Yuanjun, wearing a phoenix crown and a colorful robe, with a kind and serene face. Bixia Yuanjun is a goddess worshipped by Taoism, commonly known as "Lady of Mount Tai", "Holy Mother of Mount Tai", and "Granny of Mount Tai". It is said that she is the daughter of the Eastern Yue Emperor. During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, she was granted the title "Tianxian Yunu Bixia Yuanjun" (Celestial Fairy and Jade Lady, Primordial Princess of Rosy Clouds).

According to Taoist scriptures, Bixia Yuanjun is the incarnation of Doumu (Mother of the Big Dipper) in the Western Heaven. She attained Taoism and became an immortal on Mount Tai, achieved the status of a celestial immortal, and was ordered by the Jade Emperor to command the divine troops of the Yue Mansion and inspect the good and evil in the world. Folk legend has it that Bixia Yuanjun can bless all living beings, especially protect women and children, and grant all wishes.

On the left and right sides of the main hall are the East and West Side Halls. The East Side Hall worships the Goddess of Eyesight. It is said that she can cure various diseases and bless people with bright eyes, a clear mind, and good health. The West Side Hall worships the Goddess of Childbirth, who is in charge of human reproduction.

Sanyang Temple is located on Quanzhen Cliff north of Wuxian Temple on Mount Tai. It was founded in the 30th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1551) by Wang Sanyang, a Taoist from Dongping. The original buildings mainly included Sanyang Hall, Zhenwu Hall, Hunyuan Pavilion, Sanyang Temple, and Tianxian Shengmu Hall (Hall of the Celestial Fairy and Holy Mother). The main structure of the Taoist temple is made of stone blocks, following the mountain's terrain. Hunyuan Pavilion enshrines Taishang Laojun (the Supreme Old Lord), the ancestor of Taoism, and Tianxian Shengmu Hall mainly enshrines Bixia Yuanjun.

Dai Temple is located in Tai'an City, Shandong Province. It gets its name because it enshrines "Dongyue Tianqi Rensheng Emperor" (the God of Mount Tai). It has a long history of construction, with records stating that "it was built as a mound in the Qin Dynasty" and "a palace was built in the Han Dynasty". It was expanded in the 13th year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty (725) and underwent large-scale expansion again in the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Song Dynasty (1009). According to the "Stele of Reconstructing the Temple of Mount Tai", there were "813 buildings including halls, sleeping chambers, halls, gates, pavilions, storehouses, guesthouses, towers, views, corridors, and side rooms" at that time.

Some buildings were destroyed in the Jin Dynasty, and additions were made in the Yuan Dynasty. Most of the buildings in the temple were burned down in the 26th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1547) and were repaired again in the Qing Dynasty. The architectural specification of the entire temple follows the style of ancient imperial palaces. The overall layout is divided into three axes: east, middle, and west, with the north-south direction as the vertical axis.

On the middle axis, there are Zhengyang Gate, Peitian Gate, Ren'an Gate, Tiankuang Hall, Zhongqin Palace, and Houzai Gate in sequence. On the east axis, there are Hanbai Courtyard, East Imperial Seat, and Garden. On the west axis, there are Tanghuai Courtyard, Huanyong Pavilion Courtyard, and Yuhua Taoist Temple. The Bell and Drum Towers stand opposite each other on the left and right. The surrounding area is surrounded by city walls, with corner towers at each of the four corners. There were originally eight gates in the east, west, south, and north.

The main building, Tiankuang Hall, stands high on the central platform in the temple. With a total area of 9,600 square meters, it has a reasonable layout, rigorous structure, magnificent buildings, and a majestic momentum. It is surrounded by steles and a collection of cultural relics, housing 157 ancient steles and inscriptions from past dynasties, as well as a large-scale Taoist mural "Qibi Huiluan Tu" (Painting of the Emperor's Departure and Return). In ancient times, it was a place where emperors of all dynasties held fengshan (imperial sacrifices to heaven and earth) ceremonies and other sacrificial rituals on Mount Tai.

Wangmu Pool is located at the east end of Huanshan Road in Tai'an City, Shandong Province, south of Hushan Reservoir, and was ancient name "Yaoci" (Jade Pond). Cao Zhi of the Wei Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms period wrote the poem "Passing the Queen Mother's Cottage in the east, overlooking the Five Mountains", and Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty chanted "Drinking from the Queen Mother's Pool in the morning, staying at the Tianmen Tower in the evening", which shows the long history of the temple's construction.

Wangmu Pool is rectangular in plan, 73.6 meters long from north to south, 53 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of 3,900 square meters. It consists of a gate, Wangmu Pool, Wangmu Hall, East and West Side Halls, East and West Side Rooms, Yuexian Pavilion, Qizhen Hall, and Penglai Pavilion. The main hall houses a bronze sitting statue of the Queen Mother (Wangmu) cast in the Ming Dynasty. There are side rooms on both sides of the hall, and front side halls. The east hall has plaques reading "Guanlan Pavilion" and "Yanshi Mountain House"; the west hall is Yaowang Hall, which originally enshrined Sun Simiao and is now an exhibition room for Mount Tai cultural relics.

On the platform in the backyard of Wangmu Pool is Qizhen Hall, also known as "Lvzu Hall". The hall originally housed colorful statues of seven immortals made in the Ming Dynasty, including Lü Dongbin, Tieguai Li, He Xiangu, and Lüzu's disciples Liushujing, Miao Qing, Jiao Chengguang, and Jixiaotang, all of which are vivid and lifelike.