Brief introduction of Zhongyue Temple
Zhongyue Temple, namely Zhongyue Temple in Songshan, is a national key cultural relic protection unit and one of the world cultural heritage sites. The Holy Land of Quanzhen Taoism, the mainstream Taoism in the world. Zhongyue Temple is located at the foot of Taishi Mountain at the southern foot of Songshan Mountain in Henan Province, 4 kilometers east of Dengfeng City in Henan Province. Zhongyue Temple is backed by Huanggaifeng, facing Panyushan, facing the ridge in the west, Mu Zi Hill in the east and surrounded by mountains on all sides. It has a rigorous layout, large scale, red walls and yellow tiles, and resplendent and magnificent. With a total area of 1 10000 square meters, it is the highest temple in Zhongzhou, the largest and most well-preserved ancient architectural complex in wuyue, and the largest and most well-preserved ancient architectural complex in Henan. Zhongyue Hall, formerly known as Taishi Hall, existed at the latest in the Western Han Dynasty and the period of Emperor Wudi. Originally, it was a place of worship for Taishi Mountain God in Songshan Mountain. With the disappearance of the worship system of mountain gods, Zhongyue Temple later became a place for Taoist activities, but it still retains the characteristics of sacrificial architecture. Zhongyue Temple is the earliest base of China Taoism in the Central Plains. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Taoism was formed in China, and Taishi Temple was renamed Song Yue Temple, which became the center of Taoist activities in the Central Plains. Zhongyue Temple is the most complete and largest Taoist temple complex in the Five Mountains, which basically retains the regulations after the renovation in the Qing Dynasty. There are nearly 400 temples, palaces and pavilions in 39 buildings. The total area is nearly 1 10000 square meters, and the central axis is 650 meters long. * * There are 7 buildings 1 1 floor, and the buildings on the central axis are tall and majestic. The main hall, Jijun Hall, is the largest of the five mountains. On both sides of the central axis, there are many groups of courtyards, such as the Ancient Gods Library, April Temple, East-West Gallery, Vulcan Palace and Ancestral Hall, which are the places where Taoist priests hold ceremonies and live. There are 73 ancient monuments in the temple and more than 330 ancient cypresses from Han Dynasty to Qing Dynasty. The complete architectural layout makes Zhongyue Hall a huge building complex with distinct primary and secondary, patchwork, compact layout and harmonious tone.