Zhuming Dongtian (Cave Heaven of Brilliant Illumination)

Zhuming Dongtian

Zhuming Dongtian is located on Mount Luofu and is the foremost among the eighteen cave heavens of Luofu. It is recognized as the seventh cave heaven and the thirty-fourth blessed land in Taoism. "Dongtian" is a Taoist term, and Zhuming Dongtian originally meant "the heaven that illuminates truth with radiant brilliance." The area is embraced by Elephant Mountain, Lion Mountain, Plum Blossom Mountain, and Horse Mountain. It faces a stream in the front and leans against verdant hills at the back, with towering trees and an elegant environment, resembling a paradise on earth, and is the essence of the scenic beauty of Mount Luofu.

Zhuming Dongtian features an arched cave entrance facing south. The lintel bears four Chinese characters in regular script: “Zhuming Dongtian.” Inside the cave, there are large cavities enclosing smaller ones, along with historical sites such as ancient architecture.

During the Qin Dynasty, Anqi Sheng once came here in search of the elixir of immortality. In the Han Dynasty, the Taoist Master Zhu built Zhuzi An (Master Zhu’s Hermitage) and set up the Chaodou Altar to refine Taiqing Divine Elixir. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Ge Hong refined the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir here and attained enlightenment. In the Song Dynasty, six copper dragons and six copper fish were excavated from the Chaodou Altar and placed in the temple as sacred mountain treasures. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhan Ruoshui from Chengcheng built a retreat here to teach Neo-Confucian philosophy. It is the cultural landscape richest in content among the core scenic areas of Mount Luofu.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the military built Marshal’s Residence here, where seven marshals, including - and -, once recuperated.

Luofu Mountain Management Committee: Since the Qin and Han dynasties, Luofu Mountain has been known as the “Mountain of Immortals” and has long enjoyed the reputations of being “one of China’s ten great Taoist mountains,” “the premier mountain of Lingnan,” and “the ancestor of the mountains of the Yue region.” It is revered in Taoism as the “Seventh Great Cave Heaven” and the “Thirty-Fourth Blessed Land.” The great Han Dynasty literary figure Sima Qian regarded Luofu Mountain as the most prominent mountain after the Five Great Mountains, referring to it as “Yue Yue” (Guangdong’s Premier Mountain).

Luofu Mountain is a national scenic area and a national 5A-level tourist attraction, covering a total area of 214.82 square kilometers with 432 peaks, including more than 80 peaks over 1,000 meters in height. Its main peak, Feiyun Top, … Luofu Mountain Management Committee detailed information++