What are the characteristics of Taoist temple buildings?

  Taoist temple buildings evolved from traditional Chinese palaces, temples, and sacrificial altar buildings. They serve as places where Taoists offer sacrifices to the gods and worship, as well as places where they live in seclusion and practice Taoism. Generally speaking, Taoist buildings are usually composed of four parts: the divine hall, the dining hall, the dormitory, and the garden. Their overall layout basically adopts the traditional Chinese courtyard style. That is, the wooden frame is the main structure, and "jian" (a unit of architectural space) forms a single building, and then single buildings form a courtyard, and various forms of building complexes are composed of courtyards as units.

  The divine hall is the main place for Taoist activities. It is often located on the main axis of the building complex and is the main body of the entire building complex. Most large Taoist temples are arranged in a series of vertical rows, and they are courtyards that gradually rise along the ground plane. Statues or portraits of gods are set up in the hall. The dining hall buildings include the guest hall, the fasting hall, the kitchen, and the attached granary, which are generally arranged on the side of the main axis of the building complex. The dormitory is the accommodation for Taoists, believers, and tourists. Its layout is relatively flexible. It is often set up as a separate courtyard in a secluded place of the building complex. Some even make use of the scenic spots and historical sites, as well as strange terrains and objects (such as mountain springs, boulders, strange caves, ancient trees, etc.) near the building complex, and build towers, pavilions, terraces, and other structures, forming a garden with natural landscapes as the main part within the building complex.

   In Taoist buildings, these four parts have clear divisions, appropriate configurations, and convenient connections, giving people a solemn, fresh, and comfortable feeling. In addition, it also integrates various art forms such as murals, sculptures, calligraphy and paintings, couplets, inscriptions, poems, and steles with the buildings. It makes arrangements according to local conditions, showing a high cultural standard and diverse artistic images, thus enhancing the artistic appeal. Taoist buildings built on famous mountains combine with natural landscapes such as strange peaks, strange valleys, sweet springs, and towering ancient trees. With a flexible layout and the use of various unique architectural forms and construction methods, many elegant, mysterious, and miraculous Taoist building complexes have been built.