Changchun Guan (Changchun Temple) 长春观

Changchun Guan is located on the southern slope of Shuangfeng Mountain, northeast of the East Gate in Wuchang, Hubei, and in the middle of Huanghu Mountain (Sheshan). It is one of the famous ten-direction jungles of Taoism in China and has been a place for Taoist activities through the ages. It is called "a great blessed land in the south of the Yangtze River". The temple reveres the Quanzhen School of Taoism and is named after "Changchunzi", the Taoist title of Qiu Chuji, a disciple of Patriarch Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School.

With a long history, Changchun Guan has been listed as a first-class cultural relics protection unit by Wuhan City. It is not only a Taoist site for cultivating one's moral character and worshipping gods, but also a scenic spot with quiet surroundings and elegant architecture. Its history is long and its environment is tranquil. Even Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi Province historically had a subordinate courtyard of Changchun Guan.

Changchun Guan was built in the Yuan Dynasty, and was repaired, rebuilt and expanded three times during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It consists of three groups of buildings: the central, eastern and western routes. The entire architectural complex is arranged along the mountain. Along the central route, after entering the mountain gate, there are successively the Linggong Hall, the Ersheng Hall, the Taiqing Hall, the Ziwei Hall, and the Sanhuang Hall converted from the ancient Xiannong Platform; the eastern route includes the Chunyang Shrine, the Tiantu Pavilion, the Qiuzu Hall, etc.; the western route includes the Dashi Pavilion, the Tripitaka Pavilion, the Gongde Shrine, etc.

Changchun Guan is famous for its "three unique features" known worldwide: the only remaining "Astronomical Chart" stele in the country, buildings with Tibetan and European styles, and the stone carving of "Gantang" inscribed by Emperor Qianlong. Among the three "Astronomical Chart" steles discovered in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which were left by Taoist astronomers and inscribed with the words "Imperial Edict", one was in Yuhuang Mountain in Hangzhou, one in a temple in Shaanxi, and the third in Changchun Guan. The first two were destroyed during the "Cultural Revolution", leaving only the one in Changchun Guan, which is extremely precious as an astronomical relic and thus becomes one of the unique features.

The architectural complex of Changchun Guan is the only Taoist complex in China with Tibetan and European elements. There are two reasons for this: first, during the late Qing Dynasty, Guan Wen, the imperial commissioner who helped build Changchun Guan, was a Manchu and believed in Tibetan Buddhism. The craftsmen employed were influenced by him, decorating the halls with Tibetan mascots like elephants and patterns of saffron; second, Hou Yongde, the abbot of Changchun Guan in the late Qing Dynasty, was originally a general under Zuo Zongtang. After becoming a Taoist monk, he was influenced by Western ideas when managing Changchun Guan and built the Daozang Pavilion, a Taoist building with a European-style main structure combined with Chinese styles. The traditional floral ornaments "sculpted" with cement on its eaves, whose craftsmanship has been lost, are also regarded as one of the unique features.

Moreover, the stone carving of "Gantang" written by Emperor Qianlong himself in front of the Daozang Pavilion is one of the few imperial inscriptions in Taoist buildings, thus making it the third unique feature.

Today's Changchun Guan is not only a famous place for Taoists to cultivate themselves and preach, but also one of the tourist attractions in Wuhan. Known as a quiet blessed land in the busy city, it allows people to shuttle between history and modern civilization, evoking a wealth of reflections.