Nanyue Zhuling Palace

Nanyue Zhuling Palace

Nanyue Zhuling Palace is located at the foot of Ziguang Peak in front of Shuiliandong Cave, about eight li north of Nanyue Ancient Town in Hunan. This place was historically known as the Third Grotto-Heaven of Taoism, called the “Zhuling Taihu Xiao You Tian” (Little Expanse Heaven of Zhuling). It was first built during the Song Dynasty and underwent multiple renovations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was destroyed by fire in the late Qing Dynasty, leaving only ruins.

The central axis features, in sequence, the Xiantian Gate, Lingguan Hall, Lüzu Hall, Zhuling Hall, and Sanqing Hall. The side halls include the Cihang Hall, Caishen Hall, as well as the Bell and Drum Pavilions, East and West Guest Halls, living quarters, alchemy rooms, dining hall, storage rooms, and so on. The main hall of the fourth courtyard is dedicated to the worship of the Zhuling Emperor. The grand hall stands atop a stone platform, spanning five bays in width, standing 15.60 meters tall, with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The eaves are adorned with bracket sets, and the roof is covered with glazed tiles. The painted beams and carved rafters create a magnificent and resplendent sight. In front of the hall stand four exquisitely crafted blue stone dragon pillars with openwork designs, whose craftsmanship is truly breathtaking.

Tang Sima Chengzhen’s "Tian Di Gong Fu Tu · Thirty-Six Minor Grotto-Heavens" (as seen in Zhang Junfang’s "Yunji Qi Qian · Dongtian Fudi Bu", the same below): “The third is the Nanyue Hengshan Cave, encompassing seven hundred li, named Zhuling Dongtian. It is located in Hengzhou, Hengshan County, governed by the immortal Shi Changsheng.” Tang Du Guangting’s "Dongtian Fudi Yuedu Mingshan Ji · Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens": “The Hengshan Zhuling Dongtian spans seven hundred li, located in Hengzhou, Hengshan.” The Qing Dynasty Guangxu-era "Guang Hunan Kaogu Lüe": “The third grotto, Nanyue Hengshan, encompasses seven hundred li, named Zhuling Tian, located in Hengzhou, Hengshan County.”

"Hunan Sheng Quan Gu Chua Bei": “Zhuling Cave, north of the county, is the third grotto-heaven according to Taoist texts, called Zhuling Dongtian, which is this place. Also called Shuilian. On the mountain there is a spring that flows to the cave entrance forming a curtain-like cascade. Zhu Xi wrote in a poem: ‘Poetry completed under the moon at Tianzhu Peak, wine sobered in the heavenly realm of Zhuling Cave.’” “The rear Zhuling Cave, within the stone walls of Shigu Mountain, has an entrance in front, and inside the cave one can place a table and a bed. Ming Dynasty’s Liu Guanghai wrote a poem about it.”

The Qing Dynasty Guangxu-era "Hengshan County Annals": “The source of Shuiliandong Cave comes from Ziguang Peak, flows through mountain streams, and converges into a pool. The pool is two to three zhang wide and unfathomably deep. When the pool overflows, it forms the water curtain. It is over twenty zhang high, with steep cliffs standing like walls.”

Note: The Third Grotto-Heaven, Zhuling Taihu Dongtian, is located under Shuiliandong Cave at the foot of Ziguang Peak in Nanyue, Hunan. Legend says this is the cave palace of the Zhuling Emperor. In reality, it is not a cave but the largest and most spectacular waterfall in Nanyue. The “Wonder of Shuiliandong” has long been celebrated as one of the “Four Wonders of Nanyue,” with numerous historical poems dedicated to it. Water rushes down the stone cliff like a hanging curtain, roaring powerfully with silver light shimmering. From over one or two li away, one can hear the “thunder” and see the “white silk.” The stone wall of the waterfall is inscribed with the words “Summer Snow, Clear Snow,” which aptly describe the water curtain. There are two levels of stone steps on the steep cliff of the waterfall. At the mid-level step, water pours down from above, hits the step, and splashes outward before continuing its descent, creating the illusion of the curtain being folded midway—forming a spectacle of leaping jade and spraying pearls. Ming Dynasty’s Zhang Juzheng wrote a poem describing “crystal curtains hanging from the head of five-colored clouds,” while Song Dynasty’s Bi Tian wrote, “A thousand-foot cave door hangs a flying flow, jade shattered and pearls linked, coldly spraying in autumn”—both depicting this wonder. Below the cave is the Toulong Pool, and the cave walls feature many stone inscriptions. Examples include Song Dynasty’s Pan Zhi’s inscription “Shuiliandong,” Song Dynasty’s Teng Mu’s “Zhuxu,” Song Dynasty’s Shen Shen’s “Nanyue Zhuling Dongtian,” Song Dynasty’s Li Gen’s “Place Where Immortals Play Chess,” “Where the Golden Dragon Drags Its Tail,” “Where the Precious Inscription Floats on Water,” and “Where the Golden Dragon and Jade Tablet Are Offered,” as well as Song Dynasty’s Zhang Cha’s “Chongtui Zui Shi,” engraved on a rock in the water, where ripples make every character seem to shimmer. The Zhuling Cave Waterfall (Shuiliandong) area was also home to the Zhonggong, Shangqing Palace, Jiuzhen Temple, Jiuzhen Jiangsheng Temple, and Zhaoxian Temple, gathering many Taoists and producing numerous eminent monks. In 1964, a reservoir was built upstream, used for power generation in normal times and irrigation in dry seasons. The waterfall wonder can only be seen when the dam is specially opened or during the spring rainy season.

In 1996, the Nanyue District government decided to restore the wonder of Shuiliandong and revive the beauty of its landscape. The Nanyue Taoist Association raised substantial funds and began reconstruction in May 2000, completing the project by the end of 2003, thus revitalizing this thousand-year-old ancient temple. The temple complex covers nearly 20 mu, with a construction area of 3,800 square meters, consisting of five courtyards across seven layers, all enclosed by walls.