Xiangshan Wanfu Palace

Xiangshan Wanfu Palace

In Chongren County, Jiangxi Province, there is a mountain called Xiangshan. On the mountain, there are two Taoist temples — the main peak is called the Old Hall, and the secondary peak is called the New Hall. Together, they are collectively known as Wanfu Palace. Xiangshan Wanfu Palace was the Taoist cultivation site of the Eastern Han immortal Luan Ba. It has a history of over 1,800 years since its initial construction. Before the year 522 AD, Chongren County had no administrative establishment or territory. In the third year of the Putong era of the Liang Dynasty during the Southern Dynasties, which is 522 AD, Bashan County was established at the foot of Xiangshan, in what is now the ancient town of Gongxi. In the second year of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty, 536 AD, Bashan County was elevated to Bashan Commandery. Only after 522 AD did Chongren County have its own administrative establishment and territory. Therefore, the establishment of Chongren County is inseparable from Xiangshan Wanfu Palace.

The initially established Bashan County and Bashan Commandery were both closely related to Luan Ba, because Xiangshan was the mountain where Luan Ba cultivated, and it was originally called “Bashan.” It was renamed Xiangshan during the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1131–1162) by the then-county magistrate Sun Mao, who sought to avoid using Luan Ba’s name (Luan Ba was the Governor of Yuzhang during the Eastern Han and once lived in seclusion here). The current Chongren County was renamed from the original Bashan County; the location of the current Chongren County government is still called Bashan Town. Chongren County was moved from the ancient town of Gongxi to its current location in Huangzhou during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty, and the original Bashan County was renamed Chongren County. Therefore, to commemorate the contributions of Xiangshan Wanfu Palace to the development of Chongren County, local residents led by Chen Yijin (mother of Kang Yunfen), Ning Aie, and Liao Shuiying initiated two reconstructions of Xiangshan Wanfu Palace in 1978 and 1986. However, due to the high mountains, steep roads, lack of incense offerings, and absence of resident caretakers, the site was destroyed again. On January 2, 2004, the Chongren County government officially approved Xiangshan Wanfu Palace as a religious activity site; it is also the only officially open Taoist activity site in Chongren County.