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Wudang Mountain, which has a circumference
of 400 kilometers has 72 peaks, 36 rocks, 24 ravines, nine springs,
eight palaces and two Taoist temples. Tianzhu (Column) Peak, the
main peak, rises 1,612 meters above sea level, like a column supporting
the sky, and is famous for its uniqueness, silence and beauty. On
the mountain there are several thousand cultural relics from the
Yuan, Ming and other historical periods as well as a huge Taoist
architectural complex. The solemn ancient buildings are well ordered,
symmetrical and are spaced so that an echo occurs between them.
The complex was started in 1412, the 10th year of the reign of Emperor
Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, and was completed 12 years later. It
extends 70 kilometers from Jingle Palace in Gujunzhou City to Golden
Hall at the top of Tianzhu Peak. There are eight palaces, two Taoist
temples, 36 nunneries, 72 temples on cliffs, 39 bridges, 12 pavilions
and 10 ancestral temples. The main tourist spots are Xuanyue Gate,
Yuanhe Taoist Temple, Yuzhen Palace, Yuxu Palace, Mozhen Well, Fuzhen
Taoist Temple, Zixiao Palace, Southern Rock, Taihe Palace and Golden
Hall. Two of them, Xixiao Palace and Golden Hall have been placed
under state protection.
Zixiao Palace is one of the buildings that
is still intact and is located at the foot of Zhanqi Peak, which
is northeast of Tianzhu Peak. It was built in 1413, the 11th year
of the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle. The palace includes the
Dongtian Gate, Dragon and Tiger Hall, Xunbei Stele Pavilion, Shifangzhang,
Zixiao Hall and Parents Hall. The five-bay Zixiao Hall, the main
building, was built on a three-level terrace; it is double-eaved,
nine-ridged and has green tiles and red walls.
The Golden Hall, or Golden Crown, is situated
on top of Tianzhu Peak and was built in 1416, the 14th year of the
reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle. It is 5.54 meters high, 5.8 meters
wide and 4.2 meters long and imitates the appearance of a timber
structure. The tiles, rafters, ridgepoles, beams and gates are bronze
and it was built on a granite base; it weighs more than 80 tons.
Its double eaves rise up and on the ridges there are immortals and
animals. The hall demonstrates well-developed artistic skills in
casting, decorating and gold-plating and it is one of the best known
Taoist buildings on the mountain.
Before you enter the hall you have to pass
through Zijin City, which has a city wall 1.5 kilometers long, built
from 500-kilogram rectangular stone slabs. The wall has four carved
gates. Golden Hall is the best place to view the sunrise in the
morning and the sea of clouds in the evening.
Included in the UNESCO world heritage list
in 1994.
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