Bixia Temple

Bixia Temple

Bixia temple is the main holy land of Quanzhen sect of Taoism. It is located in the south of the top of Mount Tai. It was first built in 1009 (the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu of emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty) and was originally named Zhaozhen temple. It was renamed Bixia Lingying palace in 1488-1505 (Hongzhi of Ming Dynasty), also known as Bixia Lingyou palace. It was rebuilt in 1770 (the 35th year of Qianlong of Qing Dynasty) and then renamed Bixia temple. Bixia Yuanjun, also known as Taishan laomu, is one of the most important traditional folk beliefs. After thousands of years, especially after the Ming Dynasty, it had a significant impact on the traditional culture of northern China.

Bixia temple is a group of magnificent ancient high mountain buildings, which is composed of 12 large buildings, such as main hall, incense Pavilion, etc. The whole building takes Zhaobi, nanshenmen, Shanmen and Xiangting as the central axis, which is symmetrical left and right, low in the South and high in the north, progressive layer by layer, ups and downs, uneven and rigorous layout. It is very representative in Taoist temples, which shows that the ancient Chinese working people's architecture is scientific and exquisite, and the wisdom is superb.

Introduction to scenic spots

Bixia temple is located on the south side of the top of Mount Tai. It was first built in 1009, the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu, Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty. It was originally named Zhaozhen temple in the Jin Dynasty. It was renamed Bixia Lingying palace in the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty (1488-1505), also known as Bixia Lingyou palace. It was rebuilt in the 35th year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1770), and then renamed Bixia temple. It is still in use today.

Bixia temple hall for five Ying, nine ridge Xieshan style top, three hundred and sixty tile ridge, as the number of Zhou Tian. Gaiwa, Qixi, Banshou, Daji, etc. are all huge plaques of Emperor Yongzheng's "Zanhua Donghuang" and Emperor Qianlong's "Fu Sui Haiyu" hanging under the bronze eaves. The whole hall is carved with beams and painted buildings. On a sunny day, it is resplendent and magnificent. In the center of the hall, the statue of Bixia Yuanjun in the shrine is pasted with gold and copper, with a phoenix crown and a gentle and dignified face. Bixia Yuanjun is a goddess worshipped by Taoism, commonly known as Taishan empress, Taishan virgin and Taishan grandmother. It is said that she is the daughter of Dongyue emperor. In Song Zhenzong's time, she was named "Bixia Yuanjun, the goddess of heaven". According to the Taoist Scripture, Bixia Yuanjun is the incarnation of the matador of the West. He practiced Taoism in Mount Tai and became an immortal. He was ordered by the Jade Emperor to lead the magic soldiers of the Yuefu and observe the good and evil in the world. According to Chinese folklore, King Bixia is able to protect all living beings, especially women and children. Every year, more than one million pilgrims visit Mount Tai to worship Bixia Yuanjun, and pray for God's blessing.

Around the main hall are the East and west side halls. The east side hall is dedicated to the goddess of vision. It is said that the goddess of vision can cure all kinds of diseases and protect people's health. The west side hall is dedicated to the empress. The empress of giving birth to children is in charge of human affairs. Pilgrims often wrap a plaster doll in red cloth in the hall, take it home and put it on the bed for the mother to give her son, which is called "tied Doll".

Between the East Hall and the West Hall is the fragrant Pavilion, worshiping Bixia Yuanjun. In feudal times, the main hall was not open easily. Only the emperors and ministers were qualified to enter the hall to worship the emperor. Ordinary people could only pray for the empress of Mount Tai in the incense Pavilion.

In 1983, Mount Tai Bixia temple was approved by the State Council as one of the 21 key Taoist temples in China. In 1985, the millennium old temple was re managed by Taoist organizations and opened as a place for religious activities.

Historical evolution

Bixia temple was founded when Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty granted Mount Tai in the East. It was rebuilt many times in later generations. Bixia temple was called Zhaozhen temple at the beginning and Zhaozhen temple in the Jin Dynasty. It was renamed Bixia Lingyou palace after the expansion in the Ming Dynasty. The name of Bixia temple was probably renamed after the reconstruction in the 35th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. Bixia temple has two courtyards and five main halls. Its biggest architectural feature is that there are 360 ridges on the top of the hall, symbolizing 360 days of the whole year.

Bixia temple is dedicated to Bixia Yuanjun, who is honored as "goddess of heaven Bixia Yuanjun" by Taoism and is said to be the daughter of Jade Emperor. In the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Erqi's hao'an gossip once recorded such a story: when the emperor of Han and Ming Dynasties, there was a pair of stone carved golden maidens on Mount Tai. In the Five Dynasties, the main hall collapsed and the stone statues were broken. The little maidens did not know where they were scattered, but the jade maidens were trapped in the "Jade Maiden pool" on the top of Mount Tai. When Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty sealed Mount Tai in the East and washed his hands in the jade girl pool, a stone figure came to the surface. After washing, it turned out that it was the jade girl statue that had fallen into the jade girl pool. So emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty ordered a department to build a ancestral hall for the jade girl, named as the daughter of the emperor, and named the jade girl Bixia Yuanjun Chinese folk are commonly known as "mother of Mount Tai". It is said that she is an immortal who protects women and children. Let's come to the main hall of Bixia Yuanjun in the ancestral temple. The hall has five Ying, octagonal eaves and flying eaves. The five main halls of Bixia temple are easy to crack due to the strong wind and heavy rain on the top of the mountain and the cold winter. Therefore, the cover tiles and eaves bells of the main hall are made of copper. The tiles of the three side halls and the five gates on the left and right are all iron. There is a incense Pavilion in front of the hall. The statues and decorations in the pavilion are also made of copper. Riveted tiles are water animals, used to prevent fire. The plaque outside the main hall was inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty: "Zanhua Donghuang", and the plaque inside was inscribed by Emperor Yongzheng of Qing Dynasty "Fu Sui Haining". The palace is dedicated to Bixia Yuanjun. It is said that the three sisters are the king of Bixia, the lady of eyesight and the lady of giving away children. The three sisters have special prestige among the elderly women, which is an important reason why many elderly women insist on climbing mountains.

building structure

Bixia temple, located in Daiding, is the ancestral hall of Bixia Yuanjun, goddess of Mount Tai. It was built in 1009 A.D. in the second year of dazhongxiangfu, Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty. The whole group of buildings are towering, solemn and magnificent. From a distance, they are surrounded by white clouds and resplendent, just like a palace in the sky. The main hall of the inner courtyard is dedicated to the bronze statue of Bixia Yuanjun. The top of the hall is covered with copper tiles, and the East and west side halls are covered with iron tiles. The main buildings are the main hall, the side hall, the mountain gate, the imperial pen Pavilion, the bell and Drum Tower, the God gate and so on. The whole group of buildings is towering and neat, with novel and unique design, high and low scattered and magnificent momentum. Overlooking from afar, white clouds, resplendent, just like the palace in the sky. Outside the gate of the South God is the Treasury, commonly known as the fire pool, which is specially used for pilgrims to burn paper incense. The fire pool has a screen wall, and the big book "thousands of generations look forward to it". There is a song and dance building on the door, and there are east god gate and West God gate inside the door, and the road passes through them. The Middle East of the courtyard is the bell tower, the west is the drum tower, the north is the heavy platform, and the south gate is built on the heavy platform with front and back porches. Under the corridor, on the East and West Gables, there is a divine platform for the bronze statues of green dragon, white dragon, rosefinch and Xuanwu. The main hall, covered with tiles and eaves bells, is made of copper. Under the eaves is a plaque "Zanhua East emperor" granted by Emperor Qianlong. In the hall, there is a shrine to worship the gold statue of Yuanjun of Mount Tai. On both sides are the bronze statues of the two gods of vision and giving birth.

There are also East and West halls in the courtyard. The East Hall is for the eye God, and the West Hall is for the living God, also known as the eye goddess and the son goddess. They are all bronze statues. There is a incense Pavilion in the center of the courtyard, and there are bronze steles on both sides of the pavilion; in the East is the stele of Chijian Mount Tai Tianxian Jinque in the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty; in the west is the stele of Chijian Mount Tai Lingyou palace in the Qi period of tomorrow. In front of the pavilion are the bronze tripod and Wansui tower in Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty. In the southeast and southwest of the courtyard is the imperial stele Pavilion, in which there is a stele of Qianlong's poems. In the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern office was set up, and the chief inspector of incense tax was stationed here. In the Qing Dynasty, it was changed into a pavilion. Bixia temple has more than 50 Taoist priests and nuns. In the south of the courtyard is baozangling, on which there is a huge stone in the shape of a lion, commonly known as shizifeng.

architectural composition

Bixia temple is located at the east end of Tianjie street. It is the largest ancient building complex in Mount Tai. It was founded in the reign of Dazhong Xiangfu in Song Dynasty. It looks like a palace in the sky. The temple is a two-way courtyard with Zhaobi, jincangku, nanshenmen, dashanmen, Xiangting and main hall as the central axis, and the East-West Shenmen, bell and Drum Tower, east-west imperial stele Pavilion and east-west auxiliary hall on both sides. Outside the gate of the South God is the Treasury, commonly known as the fire pool, which is specially used for pilgrims to burn paper. There is a screen wall in the fire pool, and the big book "thousands of generations look forward to it". There is a song and dance building on the door. Inside the door, there is the east god gate in the East and the West God gate in the West. The Middle East is the bell tower, the west is the drum tower, and the north is the Chongtai.

The south gate is built on a heavy platform with front and back porches. On the walls of the East and West Mountains under the corridor, there are altars for the protection of bronze statues of green dragon, white tiger, rosefinch and Xuanwu.

The main hall is covered with tiles, lotus kisses and eaves bells, all of which are made of copper. Under the eaves, there is a plaque "Zanhua East emperor" granted by Emperor Qianlong. In the hall, there is a shrine to worship the bronze statue of Yuanjun. On both sides are the bronze statues of the two gods of vision and giving birth.

In front of the hall, there is an east-west side hall, covered with iron tiles. The East Hall is dedicated to the God of vision, while the West Hall is dedicated to the God of life, commonly known as the grandmother of vision and the empress of life.

In the courtyard is the fragrant Pavilion, which is the place where the golden pagoda was cast in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The pavilion is decorated with octagonal eaves and a bronze statue of Yuanjun. There are bronze steles on both sides of the pavilion. In the East, there is the inscription on the establishment of Tianxian Jinque in Mount Tai in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty; in the west, there is the inscription on the establishment of Lingyou palace in Mount Tai in the Qiqi period of the Ming Dynasty. In front of the pavilion are the bronze tripod and Wansui tower in Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty.

In the southeast and southwest of the courtyard are the imperial stele Pavilion, in which there is a stele of Qianlong's poems.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern office was set up, and the chief inspector of incense tax was stationed here. In the Qing Dynasty, it was changed into a pavilion. Bixia temple now has more than 30 Taoists and nuns, and is Abbot Zhang Changming, executive director and Deputy Secretary General of the national Taoist Association.

In the south of the courtyard is baozangling, on which there are giant stone lions, commonly known as shizifeng.

Myths and legends

Bixia Yuanjun is also known as "Taishan jade girl", full name "Dongyue Taishan fairy jade girl Bixia Yuanjun", Chinese folk commonly known as "Taishan grandmother".

One of the female immortals worshipped by Taoism.

As for the origin of Bixia Yuanjun,

Chinese PinYin : Bi Xia Ci