Chengdu Qingyang Palace Guide
Chengdu Qingyang Palace is located in the West Second Section of the First Ring Road in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and is known as the "First Taoist Temple in Western Sichuan" and "the First Jungle in the Southwest". It is also one of the famous Taoist temples in China.
Qingyang Palace was originally built during the Zhou Dynasty, initially named Qingyang Si. In the first year of the Middle Harmony period of the Tang Dynasty (AD 881), during Huang Chao's rebellion, Emperor Xizong of Tang took refuge in Sichuan and used it as his temporary palace. In the third year of Middle Harmony (AD 883), it was renamed Qingyang Palace. During the Five Dynasties period, it was called "Qingyang Temple", and in the Song Dynasty, it was renamed "Qingyang Palace", a name which has been retained to this day. By the Ming Dynasty, the buildings constructed during the Tang Dynasty were destroyed in wars. The existing buildings were mostly rebuilt during the sixth to tenth years of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1667–1671), covering an area of about 120,000 square meters.
The main structures of Qingyang Palace include the mountain gate, the Hall of the Three Purities, and the Tangwang Hall. The Hunyuan Hall within the palace is grand and majestic, and the Bagua Pavilion is the most completely preserved and exquisitely designed building, housing a statue of Laozi riding a green ox. The most valuable cultural relic in Qingyang Palace is a set of "Daozang Jiyao", which is the most complete version preserved in the world and has become a precious material for the study of Taoism.
The original mountain gate of Qingyang Palace was built during the Ming Dynasty. On the left, there are statues of the Earth God and the Azure Dragon, as well as a Nine Dragons Stele of imperial grace erected in the winter of the tenth year of the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. On the right, there is a statue of the White Tiger and the Seven Stars Pile, engraved with the secret Taoist celestial script Yunzhuan, arranged according to the Big Dipper in the northern sky, known as the Big Dipper Seven Stars Pile. There are also the Dragon and Phoenix Pile, a pair of large stone lions, and the Dragon King Well. The newly built mountain gate is solemn and magnificent, with overlapping flying eaves. Auspicious animal carvings of dragons and tigers are inlaid on the eaves and pillars, with delicate carvings and elegant shapes. Two dragons are sculpted on the roof of the hall, playfully vying for a magic pearl.
The golden horizontal plaque "Qingyang Palace" hangs high above the mountain gate. This plaque is the calligraphy of An Hongde, the magistrate of Huayang County in Chengdu during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, with strong and vigorous strokes, and is a cultural relic of Qingyang Palace.
The first main hall of Qingyang Palace is the Lingzu Hall, covering an area of about 400 square meters and about 20 meters high. The wall top is covered with glazed tiles, with white petals on the sides and red glazed lotus flowers in the center. On the right, there are statues of the Earth God and the Azure Dragon, and a Nine Dragons Stele of imperial grace erected in the winter of the twelfth year of the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. The second main hall of Qingyang Palace, the Hunyuan Hall, was rebuilt during the Guangxu period, with 26 stone columns and 2 wooden columns featuring exquisite openwork carvings, with patterns such as deer, phoenixes gazing at the moon, and twin lions playing with a ball, lively and vivid. There are a total of thirty-six large columns in the hall, including eight wooden columns representing the eight great kings of Taoism; and twenty-eight stone columns representing the twenty-eight constellations in the sky, namely Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, Winnowing Basket, Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Danger, Chamber, Wall, Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak, Three Stars, Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot. This hall is grand and solemn in architecture.
The Bagua Pavilion is located between the Hall of the Three Purities and the Hunyuan Hall. The stone base of the pavilion is divided into three layers: square, octagonal, and circular, to fit the Taoist principle of the round sky and square earth, the interdependence of yin and yang, and the harmony of the eight trigrams. Behind the Hall of the Three Purities is the only original Ming Dynasty building remaining in Qingyang Palace—the Doumu Hall, which is entirely wooden. The last important group of buildings in the Qingyang Palace complex is the three platforms in the back garden, with the "Birth Platform" on the left, the "Dharma Speaking Platform" on the right, and the Purple Gold Platform (also called "Tangwang Hall", with statues of Li Yuan and his wife and Li Shimin) in the center.
The Hall of the Three Purities in Qingyang Palace enshrines the highest deities of Taoism, the Three Purities, namely the Jade Purity Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Upper Purity Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable, and the Great Purity Moral Heavenly Venerable, also known as the Grand Supreme Elder Lord and the Grand Supreme Ancestor of Tao. On both sides of the great hall, there are also twelve golden immortals, namely: Guangchengzi, Chijingzi, Huanglong Zhenren, Juliu Sun, Taiyi Zhenren, Randeng Zhenren, Manjusri Guangfa Tianzun, Samantabhadra Zhenren, Cihang Daoren, Yuding Zhenren, Daoxing Tianzun, and Qingxu Daode Zhenjun.
In the Hall of the Three Purities in Qingyang Palace, there is a pair of brass-cast sheep, commonly known as the green sheep, which are the treasures of Qingyang Palace. On the left is a single-horned green sheep, and on the right is a double-horned green sheep. The single-horned bronze sheep was bought by the Grand Secretary Zhang Penghui from Beijing in the first year of the Yongzheng period (1723) and given to Qingyang Palace to bear its name. The base of the sheep has a commemorative poem: "The bronze sheep obtained at the capital's assembly, moved to the ancient Daoist site in Chengdu. The delighted local governor seems to recognize it, finding joy in Huayang that never ends." It is said that this bronze mythical creature was originally from the Meige Pavilion in Kaifeng, Henan during the Song Dynasty (the patch on the sheep's neck originally had the words "Red Plum Pavilion"). The other double-horned bronze sheep was cast by the craftsmen Chen Wenbing and Gu Tiren from Yunnan, commissioned by the Zhang family in Chengdu in the ninth year of the Daoguang period (1829), and presented to Qingyang Palace. The original green sheep has been preserved as a cultural relic in Qingyang Palace, while the replica bronze sheep was unveiled and blessed for the public to touch on the morning of June 9, 2004, at 10:30 am.
The last stop before leaving Chengdu. There are hospitals nearby. The road is a bit congested. I have to reserve time to catch my flight. I think this place doesn't need a ticket. There is a filming location of Journey to the West. The rest are all Taoism-related branches. You need to have some knowledge to understand.
Qingyang Palace is located in the second section of the west of the first ring road in Chengdu, Sichuan. It is known as the "first Taoist temple in western Sichuan". It was built in the Zhou Dynasty and was originally named Qingyangsi. It was rebuilt into Qingyang Palace in the Ming Dynasty and has survived to this day. Qingyang Palace is not only a national key Taoist temple, but also a provincial and municipal key cultural relic protection unit. The main buildings in the palace include the mountain gate, Sanqing Hall, Tangwang Hall, etc. Its main building is divided into six layers, built on a central axis, with a regular layout and magnificent momentum. Among them, the Bagua Pavilion is the most complete and most luxurious building, which enshrines the statue of Laozi riding a green bull, reflecting the Taoist doctrine. In addition, Qingyang Palace also has rich cultural connotations and historical value. The "Daoist Canon Collection" in the palace is one of the more complete versions preserved in the world, providing precious materials for the study of Taoism. At the same time, Qingyang Palace is also a place where many literati and poets left poems, such as the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu who left the poem "Wild Ambition" here. Qingyang Palace attracts many tourists with its long history, unique architectural style and profound cultural heritage. It is an important window to understand Chengdu's history and culture and Taoist culture, and a good place to experience the traditional religious atmosphere.
The Bagua Pavilion in Qingyang Palace was rebuilt from the 12th year of Tongzhi to the eighth year of Guangxu (1873-1882) in the Qing Dynasty. The pavilion is about 20 meters high and covers an area of nearly 300 square meters. The pavilion is divided into three floors, with a square base, an octagonal body and a round top. The base is engraved with the eight trigrams of Qian, Dui, Zhen, Li, 𢁉, Kan and Gen. The pavilion has sixteen double rows of stone pillars supporting the eaves. There are eight dragons carved inside and outside the pavilion. Enjoy the interior to worship Lao Tzu (that is, Taishang Lao) Jun) rode a green ox west out of Hangu Pass to see the Dharma image.
Qingyang Palace is located in the second section of the west of the first ring road in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It was built in the Zhou Dynasty and was originally named Qingyangsi. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is known as the "No. 1 Taoist Temple in Western Sichuan" and the "No. 1 Forest in Southwest China". It is a national key Taoist temple and is listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Sichuan Province. During the Huang Chao Uprising in the late Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty took refuge in Shuzhong and used this as a temporary palace. It was renamed Qingyang Palace by imperial decree. By the Ming Dynasty, the palaces built in the Tang Dynasty were destroyed by natural disasters and wars. Most of the existing buildings were rebuilt in succession during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, covering an area of about 120,000 square meters. The main buildings of Qingyang Palace include the mountain gate, Sanqing Hall, Tangwang Hall, etc. The Hunyuan Hall in the palace is tall and majestic, and the Bagua Pavilion (Figure 2) is the most complete and most luxurious building.
Qingyang Palace, the first Taoist temple in western Sichuan, is very old. The ticket is 10 yuan. It can be reached by exiting Qingyang Palace subway station. It is recommended to visit. Qingyang Palace does not have a strong commercial atmosphere, and free incense is provided for burning inside. Because Qingyang Palace was built in the Zhou Dynasty, there are many ancient buildings inside. Among them, the Bagua Pavilion is the most complete and most luxurious building, which enshrines the statue of Laozi riding a green bull. There is a teahouse in the backyard of Qingyang Palace. In the morning, many citizens drink tea and play cards. Life is very petty and comfortable. Qingyang Palace has neat buildings. Its main buildings are divided into six levels, all built on a central axis. The main buildings include the mountain gate, Hunyuan Hall, Bagua Pavilion, Sanqing Hall, Doumu Hall, Zijintai, Birth Platform and Fafa Platform. The further you go in, the quieter it is. The scenic area is not large, but it is quiet. The recommended visiting time is half an hour to one hour. The Cultural Park adjacent to Qingyang Palace was rebuilt in 1951 on the site of the former Erxian Temple. Although it is located in the downtown area, it is quiet and pleasant. Because it is not well-known among the many parks in Chengdu, it is very quiet and there are almost no tourists. It is the place where you can see the "comfortable" life in Chengdu. It is recommended that you go to the Cultural Park in the morning and evening to take a look, feel the unique Bashi of Chengdu, drink a cup of Gaiwan tea, and chat with the locals. I am Shunshi Clockwise, an older young man who loves traveling, photography, and punching in. Although I am not a professional traveler, traveling has become a compulsory course in my life and an indispensable part of my life. I love to take pictures casually and share my travel experience. If you think my notes are helpful to you, please give me a like to encourage me.