This magnificent Taoist temple complex is where all Tài’ān roads lead, being the traditional first stop on the pilgrimage route up Tài Shān. The grounds are an impressive example of Song-dynasty (960–1127) temple construction with features of an imperial palace, though other structures stood here 1000 years before that.
Many visitors enter from the north through H òu Zài gate , but entering from the south through Zhèngyáng gate allows you to follow the traditional passage through the main temple and up Hongmen Lu to the start of Tài Shān's central route ascent.
From the south end, two lions watch cars pass by on Dongyue Dajie, flanking the splendid páifāng (ornamental arch). Beyond this and the Zhèngyáng gate, Yáocān Pavilion contains a hall dedicated to deities including Bixia, the daughter of Tai Shan, who became the focus of worship by the 11th century, and Songzi Niangniang, her attendant to whom couples wanting children dutifully pay respects.
Between the buildings, the courtyards are filled with prized examples of poetry and imperial records. Fossilised-looking bìxì (the mythical tortoise son of the dragon), dating from the 12th century onward, carry stelae on their backs documenting everything from the civil exam process to emperors’ birthdays. The Han Emperor Wudi himself is said to have planted some of the massive, twisting trees in the Cypress Tree Pavilion 2100 years ago.
The main hall is the colossal, twin-eaved, nine-bay-wide Hall of Heavenly Blessing , which dates to AD 1009. The dark interior houses an exquisite, 62m-long Song-dynasty mural depicting Emperor Zhenzong as the Lord of Tài Shān, the god of longevity to whom the entire complex is dedicated. Before exiting, scale the walls over the Hòu Zài gate to see what’s in store for your pilgrimage up the mountain.
