The Laojun Platform revealed its divine presence, as the Japanese soldiers' shells fired one dud after another

Henan Province's Luyi County has two Taoist architectural complexes, both of which are national key cultural relics protection units. One is the Taiqing Palace, and the other is the Mingdao Palace. The Mingdao Palace scenic area was restored and rebuilt in 2004 according to the records in the Qing Dynasty Guangxu County Annals. It consists of buildings such as the Yiren Wanfang, the Ascension Bridge, the Youlong Dyke, the Welcoming Joy Hall, the Xuanyuan Hall, and the Ascension Platform. The scale is grand, and the construction is rigorous. The Laojun Platform, originally named the Ascension Platform or the Worship Immortal Platform, is located in the northeast corner within Luyi County town, south of the road behind Laojun Platform. It is said that Laozi ascended to immortality from here, hence the name. Emperor Zhenzong of Song posthumously honored Laozi as 'Emperor Taishang Laojun of the Mixed Yuan Supreme Virtue', thus it is also known as Laojun Platform. Under the eaves of the temple gate, there is a stele embedded on each of the east and west sides, inscribed with 'The True Source of Tao and Virtue' and 'The Legacy of the Youlong'. Inside the mountain gate on the east side, there was originally an iron pillar, seven feet high and seven inches in diameter, standing abruptly and silently in its ancient demeanor. There are also 4 unexploded shells placed on the Laojun Platform. The records show that on June 1, 1938, the invading Japanese army attacked Luyi County town and bombarded the Laojun Platform, firing a total of 13 shells, none of which exploded. Seeing this, the Japanese artillerymen were all stunned and stopped the bombardment. These shells are the duds fired by the Japanese army at the Laojun Platform that year. The incense at Mingdao Palace is very prosperous, and many local people come to visit.