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Qingdao Tour of Taiqing
Palace
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The Taiqing Palace, a sacred Taoist Palace, lies on the
southern slopes of the famous Mt. Laoshan in
Qingdao. It is said
that there were once nine palaces, eight temples and seventy-two
nunneries on the mountain when Taoism was at its height of
prosperity. Of all the existing buildings on the mountain, the Taiqing Palace is the largest and possesses the longest history.
The significant point of interest about Taiqing Palace
was that it was built in 140 BC during the Western Han Dynasty (206
BC-24 AD); it is reputed as the second most magnificent Taoist
building in China. Although repaired on several occasions, the
palace reserves the typical architectural style of the Song Dynasty
(960-1279), which is quite unusual, as far as religious architecture
of China is concerned. Taking up an area of three hectares (7.4
acres), the Taiqing Palace has three courts and 155 rooms. Sanguan
Hall, Sanqing Hall and Sanhuang Hall can be found in each of these
respective courts, separated by walls. They also have their
respective mountain gates connected by side doors.
Sanguan Hall (Hall of Three Gods):
Sanguan Hall lies in the east court of the palace. The
statues of the God of Heaven, God of Earth, God of Water and other
deities are enshrined in this hall. There are two 'Naidong'
Camellias, a special winter-resisting species, in front of the hall.
One is 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) high and the branches cover half of
the court. Its flowers bloom in bitter winter and last for about
three months, resembling blazing flames. The tree has survived for
more than 600 years and can be considered as a precious treasure of
the Taiqing Palace.
Sanqing Hall (Taoist Trinity Hall):
The rectangular middle court has Sanqing Hall as its
main hall and another two subsidiary halls, which also have some
notable gods enshrined inside. Outside the Sanqing Hall stands a
giant elm, planted in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The tree towers 15
meters (49 feet) high and the tangled branches look like a dragon
head. There is also a famous spring, which never dries up, from the
mountain at the forecourt of Sanqing Hall.
Sanhuang Hall (Three Emperors Hall):
Sanhuang Hall sits in the west court, which is also
rectangular in design. The statue of Huang Di, the ancestor of the
Chinese nation, sculptures of the God of Agriculture, God of
Medicine, and other ten renowned doctors of the past dynasties are
placed in this hall. The cypress in the court was planted during the
Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). A trumpet creeper plant twisted itself
on the tree and reaches the top. A small tree spurts out from the
crack of the cypress, forming a spectacular sight.
Meanwhile, the Taiqing Palace possesses a great number
of historical relics, especially epigraphs left by ancient
celebrities. The stonewalls outside the Sanhuang Hall were engraved
with the imperial decree issued by Genghis Khan, an outstanding
Mongolian politician and militarist who found the Mongol Empire
(1206-1635). There is also a stele made by Kublai Khan, the first
emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and grandson of Genghis
Khan. They are all precious treasure of the Taiqing Palace and even
Mt. Laoshan.
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