Three Officials Temple on Mount Tai

Three Officials Temple on Mount Tai

The Three Officials Temple is located above Doumu Palace on the middle slopes of Mount Tai. It consists of a mountain gate, bell and drum towers, east and west side halls, and a main hall, covering an area of 780 square meters. Built on a cliff halfway up the main peak, the temple boasts a majestic presence. It enshrines the Three Yuan Lords of folk belief: the Upper Yuan Heavenly Official, the Middle Yuan Earthly Official, and the Lower Yuan Water Official. The origins of the temple’s establishment are unknown, and it was destroyed during wartime in the Ming Dynasty. In the early Qing Dynasty, the monk Fang Yu rebuilt the temple halls with funding from the family of the meritorious official Cai Shiying, restoring the temple to its former glory. The Three Yuan Temple hangs mid-air, and the mountain gate features a flight of 53 steps, commonly known as the “Fifty-Three Steps of Worship.”

Heavenly Official Grants Blessings: The Heavenly Official, named the Upper Yuan First-Rank Blessing Granting Heavenly Official or the Purple Subtlety Great Emperor, belongs to the Yuqing Realm. Formed from the energies of blue, yellow, and white, he presides over all celestial emperors. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, he descends to the human world to judge people’s merits and sins. Hence, he is called the Heavenly Official who Grants Blessings.

Earthly Official Pardons Sins: The Earthly Official, named the Middle Yuan Second-Rank Sin-Pardoning Earthly Official or the Clear Emptiness Great Emperor, belongs to the Shangqing Realm. Formed from the energies of the primal void and the essence of extreme yellow, he presides over the deities of the five emperors and the five sacred mountains. On the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, he comes to the human world to judge merits and sins and pardon people’s transgressions.

Water Official Relieves Calamities: The Water Official, named the Lower Yuan Third-Rank Calamity-Relieving Water Official or the Dark Abyss Great Emperor, belongs to the Yuqing Realm. Formed from the energies of wind and marshes and the essence of morning radiance, he presides over the great deities of the waters. On the 15th day of the tenth lunar month, he descends to the human world to judge merits and sins and relieve people’s disasters.

Worship: The Three Officials—Heaven, Earth, and Water—have their divine birthdays on the 15th days of the first, seventh, and tenth lunar months respectively. Taoists visit the temple to offer incense and worship, praying for blessings and the relief of calamities.