Gedangpo Torch Temple

Gedangpo Torch Temple

Gedangpo Torch Temple is located at the southern foot of the Taihang Mountains, about 7 kilometers northwest of Bo'ai County, covering a total area of 6.3 square kilometers and standing at an elevation of around 300 meters. When it was first built, people hoped it would be as vibrant and radiant as a torch, shining forever—hence the name “Gedangpo Torch Temple.” It is also called Phoenix Ridge due to the mountain’s resemblance to a phoenix.

The Gedangpo Torch Temple Scenic Area boasts a long history. It was first built in the second year of the Zhenguan era during the Tang Dynasty (628 AD), commissioned by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, in gratitude for Sun Simiao’s life-saving medical treatment. Along with Yueshan and Lingshan, it is known as one of the “Three Northern Sacred Peaks,” echoing the famed Wudang Mountain in Hubei to the south. It has withstood the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In February 1939, it was burned down by Japanese invaders. After liberation, the government implemented a series of protective measures. In 1988, the Bo'ai County Government designated it as a key county-level cultural relic protection unit. In 1992, the Gedangpo Cultural Relics and Historic Sites Management Committee was established, and 26 halls including the Sun Zhen Hall, Jade Emperor Hall, Twelve Mother Hall, Ten Famous Doctors Hall, Three Pure Ones Hall, Lingxiao Hall, and Laojun Hall were successively constructed. It has since become a renowned Taoist site and popular tourist destination.

Gedangpo Torch Temple is divided into Upper Temple, Middle Temple, and Lower Temple. The Middle Temple includes the Sun Zhen Hall, Child-Giving Hall, Three Pure Ones Hall, All-Spirits Hall, Honest Officials Hall, and Zhuge Hall; the Upper Temple features the Eye-Brightening Hall, Great Sage Hall, Patriarch Hall, Yanjun Hall, Twelve Mother Hall, Ten Famous Doctors Hall, Jade Emperor Hall, Heavenly Father Hall, Heavenly Mother Hall, and Three Pure Ones Hall; the Lower Temple consists of the Laojun Hall, Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Mountain God, Queen Mother Cave, Coiling Dragon and Crouching Tiger Hall, and Literary and Martial Pavilion.

The Torch Temple is composed of dozens of shrines scattered across varying heights and levels, mostly arranged along the mountain ridge from top to bottom. Viewed from above, it resembles a descending tiger or a dragon emerging from the clouds—majestic and awe-inspiring. The golden glazed tiles on the rooftops of the temples shimmer in shades of blue and gold, adorning the tiger and dragon with a resplendent armor-like brilliance, making for an extraordinarily spectacular sight.

Source: Bo'ai County Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau