Laozi’s Former Residence

　　Laozi’s Former Residence, covering an area of 36 mu with a construction area of 2,200 square meters, is built in a traditional style and divided into master-servant courtyards, hills, and water systems. The residence is surrounded by streams and interconnected with the Water of Sun and Moon Pond and the Moon-Gazing Well water system, featuring clear spiritual pools and balanced elemental energies, recreating the scene of Laozi’s life and the social environment of the late Spring and Autumn period here.

　　Laozi’s Former Residence consists of the Lingxi Bridge, Cattle Grazing Field, Water-Viewing Pavilion, Fence Gate, and residential courtyards. The courtyards include the East Hall—where Laozi lectured and also used as his study. After resigning from office in 515 BC and returning home, he taught disciples here. It is said that Laozi once imparted Tao to Gengsangzi here; the Main Hall—also called the Bright Hall, used for receiving guests. It is said that Confucius visited Laozi for the third time to inquire about rites here. Laozi received Confucius as an honored guest and taught him the principles of governing people and serving heaven, as well as the ideas of Yin-Yang and hardness-softness, which greatly inspired Confucius; the Watchtower—the tallest building in Laozi’s Former Residence, where servants kept watch; the West Hall—a place to host guests, hence also called the Guest Hall. It is said that Laozi’s favored disciple, Gengsangzi, stayed for several months to seek Tao; the Kitchen—the kitchen; the Bedroom—the bedroom. From the simple bedding inside, you can almost sense Laozi’s frugal lifestyle; the East Wing Room—a living space for family members; the Granary Tower—mainly used to store millet and wheat; the Hidden Hill—legend has it that this earthen hill is part of the ruins of Hidden Hill, where the young Laozi once played; the Meditation Pavilion—legend says the young Laozi pondered questions such as “how to make the poor rich” and “how to make the dull wise” under this pavilion. After resigning and returning home, he also meditated here on nature and life; the Star-Observing Platform—as an official historian of the Zhou dynasty, one of his key duties was to observe celestial phenomena and establish the calendar based on the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, in other words, to understand the laws of Heaven. After resigning and returning home, Laozi continued to observe the heavens without interruption.

　　Laozi (571 BC~471 BC)　　Lao Dan, surname Li, given name Er, courtesy name Boyang, with "Dan" being his posthumous title, was a native of Ku County in the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (now eastern Luyi County, Henan Province). His exact birth and death years are unknown. He once served as the Historian of the Archives in the Zhou dynasty and later as the Grand Historian, well-versed in the changes of ancient and modern times. In his later years, he lived in seclusion in Pei, farming and teaching disciples, lecturing on virtue and Tao. Later, he traveled westward into the Central Plains and died in Qin while visiting. After entering the Warring States period, his sayings spread more widely and were eventually compiled by Huan Yuan into the upper and lower chapters of the Dao De Jing, which is the current version of Laozi. In the book Laozi, the origin of all things in the universe is regarded as the "Dao" or "Pu," sometimes referred to as the "Void." The Dao is the maternal force that creates everything, an absolute existence that transcends time and space, forever... More+

　　Source: Luoyi County People's Government Website