Taihe Temple

Taihe Temple

Taihe Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Taihe Temple, also known as Daode Temple, is one of the Taoist sacred sites in northwestern Hunan. Established during the Tang Dynasty and flourishing in the Ming Dynasty, it is a historic landmark of the region. It served as the revolutionary memorial site where the Special Committee of the Chinese Communist Party for Western Hunan was founded, and was also the main battlefield and command center of the urban defense during the Battle of Changde. Taihe Temple and all the halls and shrines around it were completely destroyed by bombs and incendiary devices dropped by Japanese invaders. In front of the temple stands a large stone turtle that survived the wartime destruction.

Longevity of turtles and cranes has been an aspiration throughout history, hence turtles are considered auspicious creatures. The stone turtle in front of Taihe Temple was created by Zhang Sanzhong, who lived in seclusion and practiced Taoism on Hefushan Mountain during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Legend has it that after the turtle statue was erected, it often stole barley from nearby fields. The Jade Emperor, angered by this, blinded the turtle’s right eye with his whisk. However, the turtle only became more defiant. During the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, the then abbot Yang placed a stone stele on the turtle’s back to suppress it with Buddhist power. To this day, the turtle remains.

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hunan Province