Five Sages Temple on Mount Tai

Five Sages Temple on Mount Tai

Five Sages Temple on Mount Tai is a cultural tourism attraction.

Five Sages Temple on Mount Tai in Tai’an City is located northwest of Puzhao Temple. To the east of the temple lies the Throwing-Books Stream, and to the west is the Fragrant Valley, with streams flowing around and rugged rocks standing. During the Tang Dynasty, Zhou Pu founded the Qizhen Taoist Temple here. In the Northern Song Dynasty, scholars Sun Fu and Shi Jie built the Mount Tai Academy here. The Neo-Confucian scholar Hu Yuan once came here to study. In the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, a temple was built here to enshrine the two masters Sun and Shi, with the plaque titled “Hall of Revering Virtue.” Later, Hu Yuan was also enshrined, making it the Three Sages Temple. By the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang era, when Xu Zonggan renovated it, Song Tao and Zhao Guolin were added to the enshrinement, and thus it was renamed Five Sages Temple.

The temple is divided into an eastern and a western courtyard: the east side is the Five Sages Temple, featuring a main gate, the main hall, and east and west side halls; the west side is the Lecture Hall, with the main room and a west side room. Feng Yuxiang once studied the “Spring and Autumn Annals and Zuozhuan” here and wrote the “Notes on the Spring and Autumn Annals and Zuozhuan.” On the rock face behind the temple are inscriptions such as “Lecture Platform,” “Scripture Teaching Platform,” “Thousand-Year Path of the Dao,” and “Making All the People of Lu Love Learning,” giving a glimpse of the former Confucian academy.

In front of the temple by the stream stands a stone pavilion with the plaque “Heart-Washing Pavilion.” It bears a couplet by the Qing Dynasty’s Jia Peirong: “True mountains and rivers need no painting; great sages all arise through self-motivation.” Inside the pavilion is another couplet by Jin: “Clouds passing over the mountain peak leave the trace of ink; water flowing to the temple carries the sound of reading.” All four sides are inscribed with couplets from the Qing Dynasty. Only Feng Yuxiang’s slogan in the pavilion reads: “Have you forgotten? The three northeastern provinces were invaded by Japan. Those with strong wills should fight to take them back!” It also engraves the area and total population of the three northeastern provinces. The temple was demolished in 1976, leaving only broken walls and fallen steles, including the “Reconstruction of the Dai Slope Three Sages Temple Stele” written by Huang Shulin, a Hanlin academician reader in the 51st year of the Kangxi reign (1712), the “Five Sages of Mount Tai Temple – Inscribed Stone Tablet of the Five Sages’ Deeds” written by Fan Mingshu and Deng Changyao during the Republican period, and other inscriptions from the Ming and Qing periods such as “Lecture Platform,” “Scripture Teaching Platform,” “Standing Stone,” and “Making All the People of Lu Love Learning.”

To the east of the temple lies a massive rock like a house, with a flat top like a platform, overlooking a deep ravine. Legend has it that Hu Yuan came here for a thousand-li journey of study, lay on the rock reading for ten years without returning home. Upon receiving a family letter with only the word “safe,” he did not even read it further but threw it into the ravine—hence the name “Throwing-Books Stream.” In the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli 6th year (1578), imperial inspector Zhao Xian inscribed the stele here “Hu Anding’s Study Place.” The Ming Dynasty’s Xiao Xiezhong praised: “Wild plants green and yellow between, back then practicing stillness let sheep stray. Pure-hearted, not stirred by family ties, ink fragrance still rises from the ravine bottom.”

Southeast of the temple by the roadside lies a massive rock resembling a resting elephant, named Sleeping Elephant Rock, with the inscription “Hongyi” (Great Perseverance) carved on it.

Sun Fu (992–1057), styled Mingfu, also known as Fuchun, was a native of Pingyang in Jinzhou (now Linfen, Shanxi), a Neo-Confucian scholar and educator of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Sun Fu was born into poverty, lost his father early, but never stopped studying diligently. He extensively read the Six Classics and grasped their moral principles. However, after four attempts to pass the imperial examination in Kaifeng, he failed each time and could not secure an official position. At age 32, he retreated to Mount Tai and devoted himself to teaching for nearly 20 years. Though living in extreme poverty and lacking support from the powerful, Sun Fu paid no heed to material needs, content in his poverty and love of the Dao, keeping his house full of books and eagerly discussing Confucian teachings with his disciples. Many of his students became virtuous and capable individuals, such as Shi... More details on Sun Fu++

Shi Jie (1005–1045), styled Shoudao, was an early Northern Song Dynasty educator, scholar, and literary figure from Fengfu in Yanzhou (now southeast of Tai’an, Shandong). Because he wrote and taught at the foot of Culai Mountain in his hometown, people called him Master Culai.

Shi Jie’s father, Shi Bing, had served as a Doctor of the Imperial Academy. From a young age, Shi Jie was diligent and studious. As he grew older and traveled to study elsewhere, life during his time at Yingtianfu Academy was extremely hard—he often lacked vegetables and sometimes even adequate food, yet he remained unruffled and was the most hardworking student in the academy. The academy official Wang Du saw how difficult his life was and sent people... More details on Shi Jie++

Hu Yuan (993–1059), styled Yizhi, was a scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty in China. A pioneer of Neo-Confucianism, thinker, and educator. Because his family had long resided in Anding Fort of the Shaanxi Circuit, he was widely known as Master Anding. From the second year of the Qingli era to the first year of the Jiayou era, he held positions such as Prince’s Attendant, Assistant to the Imperial Kitchen, and Lecturer of the Tianzhang Pavilion. From childhood, he was intelligent and studious, skilled in writing by age 7, and well-versed in the Five Classics by age 13, seen as a prodigy by those around him. Hu Na said: “This child is a great vessel, not an ordinary boy!” Hu Yuan was diligent in his studies, eager to learn, and had lofty aspirations, often seeing himself as a sage, but due to his family’s poor circumstances, he did not receive a good education early on. It was not until more than 20 years later... More details on Hu Yuan++

Song Tao (1572–1614), styled Daini, also known as Yitian or Qingyan, was from Songjiaxiaomen Village, Wenyang Town, Tai’an, Shandong (now Songjiaxiaomen, Feicheng), one of the “Five Sages of Mount Tai.”

Orphaned in childhood, he was raised by his elder brother Song Xutian. In the 29th year of the Wanli era (1601), he passed the Xin Chou imperial examination and was selected as a Shujishi (imperial attendant). Later appointed as an imperial censor, he inspected Jiangnan and supervised education. In the late Wanli era, governance was neglected. In the 34th year of Wanli (1606), the Liu Tiansui rebellion broke out. Song Tao submitted a memorial saying: “Since the monopolistic taxation policies began, the people could not bear their burden. One man’s cry would be met with a hundred responses. It is advisable to...” More details on Song Tao++

Zhao Guolin (1673–1751), styled Renpu, also known as Zhuo’an, was a Qing Dynasty official from Tai’an, Shandong. His ancestor, Ruan, hand-copied the “Spring and Autumn Annals” and “Zuo Commentary,” and taught him history and the “Records of the Grand Historian” and “Book of Han” in Manchu. He was deeply committed to scholarship, taking Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi as his models. In the 45th year of the Kangxi reign, he passed the imperial examination. In the 58th year, he was appointed magistrate of Changyuan County in Zhili. As an official, he was incorruptible and guided the people with rituals, earning their deep respect as if he were their parent.

Emperor Yongzheng heard of his virtue and in the 2nd year of his reign promoted him to prefect of Yongping. He was promoted thrice to become Fujian Provincial Administration Commissioner, then transferred to Henan. He was promoted to Fujian governor, then transferred to Anhui. Imperial censor Jiang Bing petitioned that county magistrates collect land taxes according to quotas set by the ministry, printing tax notices and submitting them to the administration commissioner for issuance. Zhao Guolin, regarding Anhui... More details on Zhao Guolin++