Yuanmiao Temple

Yuanmiao Temple

Yuanmiao Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ancient Hanyang is dotted with historic sites and scenic spots. Among these numerous attractions lies a place of “secluded charm accessible through winding paths”—Yuanmiao Temple. Ming Dynasty imperial censor Wu Tingyong once visited this temple and composed a poem that reads:

The mystical immortal palace by the Han River, with its uneven terraces and halls linked to the verdant hills.

Close to the North Star it exhales a golden aura, overlooking the southern sea shrouded in blue mist.

The elusive phoenixes and unicorns encircle Taiyi, while the awe-inspiring dragons and tigers guard the true scriptures.

Longing to seek the elixir of immortality from Anqi, I find the clouds dispersed, the jade sky clear, and the moon filling the river.

For over a thousand years since its establishment, Yuanmiao Temple has enjoyed the favor of rulers across dynasties. Originally built east of the Hanyang County government office, during the Chunyou era (1241–1252) of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty, local officials commissioned the Taoist master Ye Jing’an to renovate the temple. It was destroyed during the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In the early years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, when Zhao Tinglan served as county magistrate, the temple was relocated to the west of the city. In 1383 (the 16th year of the Hongwu reign), when “King Zhao of Chu fell ill,” the government “undertook major renovations of famous sites within the region.” During this time, under the direction of Wang Zhiming, the deputy director of the Jiangling branch in Jingzhou, Yuanmiao Temple underwent an unprecedented expansion and renovation. From then on, “its halls, corridors, gates, and pavilions were all exquisitely beautiful,” and it briefly served as “a venue for annual official ceremonies.” The local Daoist administration office “Daojisī,” which managed Taoist affairs in Hanyang Prefecture, was established within the temple. The renowned Taoist priest Han Mingshan once served in the Daojisī. Liu Rusong, the prefect, was also a frequent visitor to Yuanmiao Temple. After getting drunk one day, he immediately composed a poem with flair:

To visit the place of enlightenment, where moss-covered stone doors stand heavy.

Rain-soaked fences thick with vines, dewy wells with fallen lotus flowers.

To sober up, I often lean on stones; to part the clouds, I plant pines alone.

Late I climb to the peak of Longsheng, where green peaks rise above the river.

Historical records indicate that Yuanmiao Temple is the earliest among the Ten Directions Monasteries of Taoism established in the Wuhan area. Native Chinese Taoist temples, especially those of grand scale, were often bestowed imperial titles and names. Due to such imperial favor, Yuanmiao Temple changed its name three times with the change of emperors. Thirteen years after Wang Xiu founded the temple in 967 (the 5th year of the Qiande era of the Song Dynasty), Emperor Muzong of Song bestowed upon it the name “Tianqing.” In 1312 (the 1st year of the Huangqing era of the Yuan Dynasty), it was ordered to be renamed “Xuanmiao.” During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, to avoid the naming taboo of Emperor Kangxi (whose personal name was Xuanye), it was renamed again as “Yuanmiao.” No wonder Zongsheng, a Taoist priest who spent over 30 years in Yuanmiao Temple, once lamented: “Though a monk’s heart resides beyond the mundane world, his body and temple cannot be separated from it.”

The architectural style of Yuanmiao Temple is unique among Taoist temples in the Wuhan area. Viewed from the top of Tortoise Hill, the entire temple complex forms the shape of a gourd. Its layout follows the pattern of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, fascinating and mesmerizing. With nine palaces on eight sides and eight trigrams forming nine angles, the arrangement of each palace and every side embodies the wisdom of the laboring people and carries mysterious legends. The first palace is the Lingguan Hall, with its red walls and green tiles, housing the foremost deity of Taoism, “Wang Lingguan.” He was a disciple of Lin Lingzhu, greatly revered by Emperor Huizong of Song, and was known for his uprightness, which led Taoism to appoint him as the guardian of the mountain gate. In addition, it enshrines the Four Directional Deities—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird—arranged according to the Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), symbolizing “giving birth to heaven and earth, generating immortals, nurturing humans and all living things continuously,” representing the root of eternal life and magnifying the temple’s majesty. The second palace is the Sanqing Hall, dedicated to the statues of Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing, symbolizing the idea that “Laozi transformed into the Three Pure Ones through vital energy.” The “Three Pure Ones” are the supreme deities in Taoism—the most revered beings believed to have existed before heaven and earth and to endure through all ages: the Supreme Old Lord (Tai Shang Lao Jun), the Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun), and the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy (Lingbao Zhenren). The third and fourth palaces are the Qiu Ancestral Hall and the Lü Ancestral Hall, which stand alongside the Sanqing Hall. The Qiu Ancestral Hall enshrines Qiu Chuji, the Realized One of Changchun, while the Lü Ancestral Hall enshrines Lü Dongbin, the Pure Yang Emperor and one of the Northern Five Patriarchs of Taoism. Legend has it that he once set foot on Yellow Crane Rock (Snake Mountain) and left behind the verse: “Leaving holy traces atop the Yellow Crane Tower, refining cinnabar in the Yuqing Hall.” The fifth palace is the Jade Emperor Hall, enshrining the Jade Emperor. Adjacent to it are the sixth palace, the Thunder Ancestor Hall, and the seventh palace, the Wenchang Hall. The Thunder Ancestor Hall is dedicated to the Thunder God and the Goddess of Lightning, who govern wind, thunder, and lightning, while the Wenchang Hall houses the Wenchang Emperor, deity of literature and scholarship. Behind the three main halls are the eighth palace, the Three Officials Hall, and the ninth palace, the Bodhisattva Pavilion. The Three Officials Hall enshrines the “Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official.” Taoism believes that the Heavenly Official bestows blessings, the Earthly Official pardons sins, and the Water Official relieves calamities. The roof ridges of the Three Officials Hall are carved with coiled heavenly dragons. The Bodhisattva Pavilion enshrines the Goddess of Mercy, Cihang Daozhang.

Yuanmiao Temple is lined with lush trees, offering a pleasant landscape. Behind the main hall stands a century-old elm tree, beneath which the founding patriarch, the enlightened Taoist Wang Xiu, is buried. For this reason, the Ming Dynasty poet Zhao Bi once stood under the elm tree and composed a poem praising the radiant splendor of Yuanmiao Immortal Palace:

Lofty towers and halls lean against the sunny palace, where once a realized master tamed tigers and dragons.

Not a speck of worldly dust can reach here, the alchemy chamber is forever sealed by white clouds.