西安萬壽八仙宮 Temple of the eight immortals -- Xian, China

TEMPLE OF THE EIGHT IMMORTALS 

The Temple of the Eight Immortals lies at Changlefang Street outside the East Gate of Xi’an.  The temple was first built in the Son Dynasty (618-907).  The stone tablet standing before he temple bears on the characters of CHANG AN JIU SI  (meaning Chang’an Wine shop), along which were engraved the following temple where Lu Dongbin (a Taoist) met Han Zhongli (Master Taoist), who helped Lu attain the Way.  As was recorded in BIOGRAPHICS OF THE IMMORTALS, Han Zhongli, patriarch of Taoism picked Lu Dongbin out of pipe dreams at Chang'an Wine shop and enabled him to finally attain the Way.  Later on, the temple was built in memory of Lu, the Immortal. 

The Temple of the Eight Immortals enjoys widespread reputation for the touching tales of the Eight Immortals.  As one of the major Taoist temples in China placed on the first list of important historical sites to be protected in Shaanxi Province, it has attracted believers of Taoism across the country. 

As is revealed in the data of the temple, thunders rumbled under the ground thereabout now and then in the Song Dynasty and a temple was therefore built with an aim to repress the boom.  Then there was a rumor that eight figures of unusual manner had been seen banqueting the temple.  They were believed to be the Eight Immortals incarnate.  That led to the construction of another temple to commemorate their tour under Heaven.  And the temple was thus named “Temple of the Eight Immortals.  During the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1206-1368) Dynasties.  Quan Zhen Jiao, a sect of Taoism, developed to the full.  The believers of the sect worshipped Han Zhongli and Lu Dongbin as patriarchies of Taoism and expanded considerably the existing scale of the temple.  By the Miing (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1911) Dynasties, it had become a major temple of Taoism, where Taoist priests from the Northwest China were taught Taoist doctrines and scriptures of Taoism. 

In 1900 when the Eight-Power Allied Forces intruded into Beijing, Emperor Dai Tian (Dezong reigned 1875-1908) and Empress Ci Xi (mother of the emperor) made hasty escape to Xi’an, where they settled down in the Temple of the Eight Immortals.  They bestowed upon the temple a horizontal inscribed board the character of YU QING ZHI DAO (meaning first and foremost god of Taoism in the first place), and officially conferred upon it the Temple of the Eight Immortals at the imperial order.  The temple sustained damage during the mid 60’s after China’s liberation.  Nevertheless, the departments concerned at the provincial and municipal levels helped it restored to its original looks.  Today, the temple has a gracefully quiet environment dotted with flowers and tall tree s as if it resembled the imperial palace in Heaven. 

All the halls in the temple retain the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, whose features are simple, unsophisticated but magnificent in compact layout.  From the entrance to the rear hall line, three rows of single-storey houses flanked by the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, with two yards located eastward and westerward separately.  Along the axis spread the Hall of Lingguan, the Hall of the Eight Immortals and the Hall of Dou Mu.  The yard east to the axis consists of the Hall of Master Lu, the Hall of Master Doctor and Hall of Tai Bai, whereas the yard west to the axis comprises of the Master Hall of Qiu and the houses of the temple heads. 

The Temple of the Eight Immortals is the best-preserved Taoist sort in Xi’an.  Since it came into existence in the Song Dynasty, renovations and expansions have made the structure closer to completeness.  Today, the Temple of the Eight Immortals, an entity combined Taoism with culture and tourism, has been embracing friends both at home and overseas.

 

Address:  12 Beihuoxiang Street, Xian, China (Post Code: 710048)

Fax: (029) 83237539   Tel: (029) 82480994)   Email: baxiangong@126.com

 

 

 
 

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