Taiqing Temple

Taiqing Temple

Taiqing Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Taiqing Temple

Age: Tang to Qing Dynasties

Located in Pujiang County, Taiqing Temple is one of the birthplaces of Taoism. In the first year of the Han'an era during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling, the founder of Taoism, established the "Twenty-Four Administrations" to spread Taoism. According to the "Illustrated Taoist Scriptures" (Yunji Qiqian) by Zhang Junfang of the Song Dynasty, which cites the "Chart of the Twenty-Four Administrations by Celestial Master Zhang," the "Zhubu Mountain Administration" on Changqiu Mountain in Pujiang was one of the "Twenty-Four Administrations," located at the border of Pujiang County in Qiongzhou, 150 li from Chengdu.

Taiqing Temple is the newest addition to Pujiang County’s list of six provincial-level cultural heritage sites, following the Baiyun Salt Well Ruins, the Dafosi Cliff Carvings, the Pujiang Confucian Temple, the Heshasi Mahavira Hall, and the Tomb of Wei Liaoweng. The extant relics at Taiqing Temple mainly include: cliff carvings from the Tang and Song dynasties, the Yang Zhengjian Fairy Well from the Tang Dynasty, the Wu Yuandao Tomb Stele, stone inscriptions from the Tianbao Platform of the Song Dynasty, a Taoist immortal head sculpture from the Song Dynasty, the Wei Liaoweng Ink-Washing Pool, Ming Dynasty stone carvings, the Ming Dynasty White Ox Well Stele, the Ming Dynasty Three Pure Ones Hall rock wall, Qing Dynasty roof tiles and dripstones from Taiqing Temple, the Qing Dynasty Stele Commemorating the Renovation of Xuandu Mountain, the Qing Dynasty Stele Commemorating the Taiqing Temple Tin Lamp Pole, stone inscriptions of poetry composed during the Double Ninth Festival on Changqiu Mountain in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty Stele Commemorating the Construction of Lingxu Pavilion on Changqiu Mountain, and the Taiqing Temple Peasant Association Armed Revolutionary Struggle Monument.

Taiqing Temple is one of the birthplaces of Taoism in China and predates the Taoist history of Mount Qingcheng by 56 years, boasting a history of over 1,800 years. The temple preserves a large number of cliff carvings, Taoist architecture, and inscribed stelae, all of which hold significant cultural relic value. Surrounded by the undulating peaks and scenic beauty of Changqiu Mountain, Taiqing Temple is rich in cultural heritage, natural landscapes, and historical stories, including revolutionary culture. It attracts many visitors every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month and holds great potential for tourism development.

In 2019, Taiqing Temple was designated as part of the ninth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units by the People's Government of Sichuan Province.

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Sichuan Province