?Xi Palace

　　?Xi Palace is situated on the opposite bank of the river from Diàoyútái in Xīxi Town, Chéncāng District. It was originally constructed during the Qin Dynasty as a place where Xiāo Shǐ and Nòng Yù engaged in Daoist seclusion. In the late 13th century, Qiu Chújī, the Yuan Dynasty’s Imperial Taoist Master and founder of the Longmen Sect of the Quanzhen School of Daoism, spent six years in deep spiritual practice here. The Yuan Emperor decreed that all sites where imperial masters meditated be honored with the title “Gōng” (Palace), hence the name ?Xi Palace. It is also known as the Eight Scenic Spots Palace due to its eight unique natural views. Today, only three relics remain: a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, an octagonal stele, and the “Qiu Chángchūn Inner Biography Stele.” Historically, this is the site where the legend of Xiāo Shǐ and Nòng Yù playing the flute to summon the phoenix took place. To commemorate them, later generations built the Fèngnǚ Lóu (Phoenix Maiden Tower) and Fèngnǚ Cí (Phoenix Maiden Shrine). The palace site is surrounded by mountain plateaus and crisscrossed by streams, offering tranquil surroundings. Qiu Chújī resided and practiced here for six years, earning the site the reputation as the “Foremost Daoist Sanctuary in Western Guanzhong.” It is now a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

　　?Xi Palace preserves many precious Daoist relics. Among them is an octagonal stele erected during the Yuan Dynasty, finely crafted from dark marble with a capital 150 cm high. The stele features four relief sculptures and stands 275 cm tall, divided into eight sides, each 27.5 cm wide, inscribed with the 5,000-character Dao De Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue) by Lǎozǐ. This Yuan Dynasty stele is a provincial cultural relic protection unit. There is also the “Qiu Chángchūn Inner Biography Stele,” erected in February 1281 (the 18th year of the Yuán Dynasty’s Zhiyuan era) by Fāng Zhìzhèng, the head of Chángxīng Chéngdào Gōng (Changchun Achievement Dao Palace) at ?Xi. The top of the stele features a relief of two dragons playing with a pearl, and the front is inscribed in regular script with 17 characters: “Inner Biography Stele of the Fifth Generation Celestial Master, Changchun, Preacher and Leader of the Dao.” The reverse side contains a detailed biography of Qiu Chújī’s life in regular script. The stele is 257 cm high, 119 cm wide, and 26 cm thick, with a base 150 cm long. The inscriptions are clear and well-preserved.

　　The ancient architecture of ?Xi Palace includes surviving relics such as the Qīngfēng Lóu (Clear Wind Tower), the Qiu Chángchūn Inner Biography Stele, the ancient ginkgo tree, the Fènghuáng Tái (Phoenix Terrace), and stone sutra pillars. It is one of the famous “Eight Scenic Spots of Bǎojī.” The surrounding area features terraced plateaus, quaint villages, and the verdant hills along the Pānxī River, creating a picturesque scene of birdsong and floral fragrance. The story of Xiāo Shǐ and Nòng Yù, recorded in the Han Dynasty text Lie Xiān Zhuàn (Biographies of Immortals) by Liú Xiàng, including the beautiful legend of Nòng Yù summoning a phoenix with her flute, is said to have taken place here. The so-called ancient Phoenix Terrace is located on a hilltop not far east of Fèngmíng Village in Xīxi Town, Chéncāng District, southeastern Bǎojī. Due to historical changes, most villagers originally living on the hilltop have relocated downhill, and poor transportation has made the terrace rarely visited today. About 2 km from the ancient Phoenix Terrace lies the Qīngfēng Tái (Clear Wind Terrace), where the Yuan Dynasty’s grand master Qiu Chángchūn once meditated. A stone monument inscribed with “Fèngnǚ Lóu” (Phoenix Maiden Tower) now stands there in commemoration.

　　Additionally, the Yángjiādiàn Site, one of the Yangshao Culture ruins, adds significant cultural depth to ?Xi Palace. The ?Xi River and its surrounding natural scenery are serene and picturesque, offering high aesthetic value.