Qinghua Cave

　　“Qinghua Cave,” also known as Lüzu Hall (a branch of Changqing Temple), is a Taoist temple of the esoteric Miaozhen sect located in Jining, Shandong. Its original site was west of the former Central District Government, inside the campus of the Affiliated Middle School of Jining Teachers College. Existing stone steles remain on the site, which faces south and was first built during the Yuan Dynasty. Covering a total area of 10,000 square meters, the Jining Prefecture Annals from the 12th year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty recorded: “Qinghua Cave was originally a flower garden belonging to Xiaolian Wu Dunlin, which Hu Ruoqi transformed into a hall to enshrine the Pure Yang True Man. Towering trees flourished, with pavilions, terraces, pools, and winding ridges creating a secluded and serene landscape—stepping inside felt like entering a mountain valley. To the left of the main gate stood a bell tower, while the rear courtyard featured a pavilion, six rooms on the east and west halls, three rooms in the main hall, and behind the cave, one large hall dedicated to the Supreme Lord of Heaven Taiyi Jiuku and three rooms in the Doumu Pavilion (housing statues of Doumu and the Northern and Southern Dipper deities). The east courtyard had a bamboo grove, a Ten Directions Hall with three rooms, and constant incense offerings, confessions, and requests for medicine. Every year on the 14th day of the fourth lunar month, a grand celebration for Lüzu was held. Two resident Taoist priests regularly collected and burned waste paper from the streets, scattering the ashes in the river—a ritual known as ‘respecting and cherishing written words.’”

　　In 1958, the abbot Han Zhixiang handed over the temple to the school and relocated the statue of Lü Dongbin to the Huoshen Temple in Banjie Pavilion for worship. Activities ceased in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution.

　　The new Qinghua Cave in Jining began construction in 2003 and took three years to complete. It is now open to the public. The new Qinghua Cave was designed entirely based on the structure and layout of the original, and is located within the Luming Mountain Villa in Rencheng District’s Nianlipu Town, covering an area of 8 mu. From south to north, the layout includes a single-eave main gate, with the Qinghua Cave stone plaque inscribed by calligrapher Master Cheng Baoyuan. On either side of the gate, red walls with blue tiles bear the inscriptions “Tao follows nature” and “Boundless Heavenly Worthy.” Inside the gate are door gods on both sides, above which hangs a plaque reading “Cave Heaven and Blessed Land.” To the east are three rooms for guest reception, and to the west, three rooms for the vegetarian kitchen. Crossing a small bridge, the central feature is the double-eave mounting platform Xiaoyingzhou, surrounded by a pool. To the east stands a stone pagoda. After crossing the bridge lies the main hall, the Chunyang Hall, with a plaque inscribed by Huang Xinyang, Vice President of the China Taoist Association. Inside is a statue of Lüzu. To the east and west are the “Tiangen” and “Yueyao” halls. Behind the Chunyang Hall is an artificial hill containing a stone chamber that forms Qinghua Cave, housing a statue of the Supreme Old Lord. To the west of the hill are two sister pavilions named “Mingde” and “Xuanjing.” To the east is an ancestral hall, and behind the hill is a two-story building called the Scripture Depository, with a plaque inscribed by calligrapher Du Huaiyi. The surrounding vegetation is lush, dominated by pines and bamboos, complemented by ginkgos and large-leaved privets. The entire architectural complex was constructed to replicate the original landscape, exuding an antique charm and embodying the Taoist cultural philosophy of “tranquility.” The rear Luming Mountain Villa is designed in the style of a Suzhou garden, featuring shaded trees, pavilions, flowing springs, waterfalls, birdsong, and floral scents—creating a veritable paradise that serves as an ideal place for Taoist practitioners to cultivate themselves and for the general public to visit and relax.

　　Source: Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission