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Taiqing Palace

Introducing Taiqing Palace, Taiqing Palace Guide, Taiqing Palace Travel Guide
Article from Qingdao Municipal Commission of Tourism

Taiqing Palace, also called Xia Temple, is located to the south of Qingshan Village and on the north bank of Taiqing Bay. Facing the sea, Taiqing Palace leans against seven peaks.

In the first year of Western Han Dynasty (140 BC), Zhang Lianfu built a Sanguan Temple. Two years later (138 BC), more temples were built to enshrine the statues of Sanqing. In Tang Dynasty, Li Zhexuan added more temples to enshrine the statues of the three emperors, being called Sanhuang Temple (Three Emperors Temple). During the Five Dynasties period, in the second year of Tong Guang in later Tang Dynasty (AD 924), Liu Ruozhuo built the “Tiger-expelling Hall” to enshrine the statue of Lao Zi. In the first year of Jianlong Song Dynasty (960 AD), Liu Ruozhuo followed the imperial order to reconstruct the temples in Taiqing Temple. He built the Sanguan Temple (Three Gods Temple) and reconstructed Sanhuang Temple.Taiqing Temple formed a considerable scale at the time. Out of the admiration of Taiqing Temple, the notable taoist Qiu Chuji, Zhang Sanfeng once cultivated themselves there. Taoism of Taiqing Temple once went downhill during the years of Emperor Wanli (1573-1620) in Ming Dynasty. The Hanshan monk of Baoen Temple in Nanjing seized the opportunity to destroy the temple and built Haeinsa Temple, which aroused a contentious case between the monks and taoists. In 1600, Taoism won the case and followed the imperial order to destroy the temple and rebuilt the temple. Since then, Taoism dominated in the whole region of Taiqing Temple.

Taiqing Temple is the largest among all temples and nunneries in Laoshan Mountain. Taking up an area of 4,442 square meters, Taiqing Temple has more than 150 rooms. Sanguan Temple, Sanqing Temple and Sanhuang Temple have their own gates and walls. Besides, there are two courtyards named Martyr's Shrine and Shrine of Master of Scriptures. Taiqing Temple is the second taoist temple just next to the Baiyun Taoist Temple in Beijing, being called “the second temple under heaven” of Quanzhen school of Taoism. Statues of the “Three Gods”--God of Heaven, God of Earth and God of Water, True Warrior Grand Emperor (Zhen Wu Da Di), God of Thunder, etc. are enshrined in Sanguan Temple.

In front of Taiqing Palace there are two camellias, one of them is 3.5 meters high with a 1.7-meter girth and covers half of the court with its crown. Blooming like a raging fire with a florescence as long as 3 months, it can be rated as a wonder. The stone tablet under the tree reads “Jiang Xue” (which means crimson snow in Chinese). There was a camellia of the same age in Sanqing Temple, which is the incarnation of Jiang Xue, the girl in red in Pu Songling’s masterpiece Strange Tales of a Lonely Studio. However, after its death in 1926, the name “Jiang Xue” is transferred here for the sake of the tourists’ wishes. Having survived for more than 600 years, the tree is treated as a treasure of Mt. Laoshan. Walking through the western side door of Sanguan Temple, Fengxian Bridge and Buyue Corridor, Sanqing Temple, where statues of the “Three Pure Ones”—The Grand Pure One(Taiqing Daode Tianzun), The Supreme Pure One(Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun), and The Jade Pure One(YuqinYuanshi Tianzun) are enshrined, comes into view. The eastern and western side halls are used to offer sacrifices to Jade Emperor and Queen Mother of the West respectively. Fengxian Bridge is named by the famous Taoist Liu Ruozhuo. The small yard to the west of Sanqing Temple is Guanyue Temple, providing sacrifices to Guan Yu and Yue Fei. Down the stairs outside the temple is the most famous spring of Mt. Laoshan—the Holly Water Spring (Shenshui Spring). To the west of the spring sits Sanhuang Temple, which have statues of the “Three Emperors”—Fu Xi, Shennong and Yellow Emperor enshrined inside.

Quick Facts on Taiqing Palace

Name: Taiqing Palace
Location: 50Km East of Qingdao
Phone: +86-0532-87948080
Best Time to Visit: April to October
Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 Hours
Opening Hours: 06:00 - 18:00 (April 1 to October 31); 07:00 - 17:00 (November 1 to March 31)
Admission Fee: CNY27

 

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