At the foot of Mount Song lies the Purple Golden City—Zhongyue Temple

Zhongyue Temple, located at the southern foot of Mount Song in Dengfeng City, Henan Province, was founded during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), originally named 'Taishi Ci' and was built for the worship of the mountain god of Taishi. After several relocations during the Eastern and Western Han Dynasties, it was moved to its current location at Yu'an Ridge during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and was also renamed 'Zhongyue Temple'. Throughout the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Zhongyue Temple underwent countless repairs and expansions, gradually forming its current scale. Hence, it earned the nickname 'The Forbidden City at the foot of Mount Song'. The majority of the current buildings were reconstructed during the Qing Emperor Qianlong's reign, and their style shares a unique similarity with the Forbidden City in Beijing, yet all the ancient buildings have been preserved in their original form, including stone steles, pagodas, archways, and temple fixtures, among others. The legendary founder of Taoism, Zhang Daoling, is said to have practiced here and left behind the 'True Form Map of the Five Sacred Mountains', which is believed to have been used by Taoist practitioners entering the mountain to ward off all kinds of beasts and evil spirits. With a long history, Zhongyue Temple has almost witnessed the entire development history of the Chinese nation and Taoism. Such ancient temples that have been preserved for thousands of years are rare in the world, and their intact preservation also provides valuable physical materials for the study of Taoist culture. Zhongyue Temple is a Taoist site of the Quanzhen School, and the main deity worshipped here is the Zhongyue Emperor. The Zhongyue Emperor, also known as the Mount Song God, is one of the Five Great Mountain Emperors. He is the earliest deity worshipped among the Five Sacred Mountains, and since Zhongyue is located in the center of China's land, it is associated with earth, which complements heaven, hence it holds a higher status among the Five Sacred Mountains. He was deeply revered by ancient emperors and was the first among the Five Sacred Mountains to be officially enshrined by an emperor. According to 'The Old Book of Tang: Records of Rites and Ceremonies, Volume Four', in the fourth year of the Chuigong era (688) under Empress Wu Zetian, the deity of the Luo River was enshrined, and due to the proximity of Mount Song to the Luo River, Mount Song was renamed as the Divine Mountain, and the title of 'Zhong Tian Wang' was bestowed, along with the establishment of a temple. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the Zhongyue deity was renamed 'Zhong Tian Wang', and during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, he was enshrined as 'Zhong Tian Chongsheng Emperor'. In the Yuan Dynasty, he was further honored as 'Zhong Tian Daining Chongsheng Emperor'. The birthday of the Zhongyue Emperor is on the 18th day of the third lunar month, and every year from the first day of March, the Zhongyue Temple Fair begins, attracting throngs of visitors and Taoist devotees from all over to gather at Dengfeng's Zhongyue Temple to burn incense and worship, welcoming the sacred birthday of the Zhongyue Emperor! On June 25, 2001, Zhongyue Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. On August 1, 2010, the historical architectural complex including Zhongyue Temple was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The Daoist base at Mount Song's Zhongyue Temple dates back to the earliest times

The Zhongyue Temple in Dengfeng is the earliest Daoist base in the Mount Song area, established during the Qin Dynasty. Originally, it was built to worship the Zhongyue deity. Historical figures such as Emperor Wu of Han, Empress Wu Zetian, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song, and Emperor Qianlong have all left their footprints here. The temple complex was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty following the layout of the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the current complex of red walls and green tiles is known as the 'Mini Forbidden City'. The temple is surrounded by ancient trees, among which a wisteria plant parasitizes an old cypress tree, its purple vines tenderly entwining in a curtain-like fashion, presenting a picturesque scene of old trees greeting the spring.

Henan | The earliest base of Taoism in the Songshan area is the Zhongyue Temple

❤Recommended reason: The predecessor of Zhongyue Temple was the Taishi Shrine, which was built during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) as a place to worship the god of Mount Taishi. In the first year of Yuanfeng of the Western Han Dynasty (110 BC), Emperor Wu of Han visited and offered sacrifices to Mount Song, and built an additional shrine to the god of Taishi, sealing the products of the land below as offerings to the shrine. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, after three relocations, the site was officially named Zhongyue Temple. 👍Most recommended: In the first year of Tian Ce Wan Sui (696 AD), Wu Zetian ascended Mount Song to seal Zhongyue, and conferred the title on the god of Zhongyue. Zhongyue Temple was the earliest base of Taoism in the Songshan area, originally established to worship the god of Zhongyue, and Taoists honor Zhongyue Temple as the 'Sixth Minor Grotto-Heaven'. 👍Most recommended: At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, due to the chaos of war, the temple collapsed severely. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially during the Qianlong period, Zhongyue Temple underwent a large-scale comprehensive renovation following the style of the Qing Old Palace in Beijing, hence Zhongyue Temple is also known as the 'Miniature Forbidden City'. The existing buildings largely retain the scale of the Qing Dynasty's reconstruction.

There is a Shaolin Temple in Henan, which is well known. Because I have been filming, I often appear in martial arts novels, so I am very famous. Not far from Shaolin Temple, there is a larger ancient architectural complex, which has a longer history than Shaolin Temple and there are not many people to visit. is in the same city as Denglin Temple in Dengfeng City. Zhongyue Temple has a history of more than 2,000 years. Zhongyue Temple is relatively close to Dengfeng City, only 4 kilometers. The predecessor of Zhongyue Temple was Taizuo, which existed in the Western Han Dynasty. In the Zhongyue Temple, there are many ancient trees. There are more than 330 ancient cypresses from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. These large ancient trees have nameplates, which record the age of the tree. There are also many trees over 3,000 years old. The area of Zhongyue Temple is about 110,000 square meters, almost twice the area of Shaolin Temple. This is the largest ancient architectural complex in Henan Province. Iron Man is a rare treasure of Zhongyue Temple. There are four iron people in the Zhongyue Temple. They were cast in the Northern Song Dynasty and have a history of nearly a thousand years. It is said that the locals believe that the iron man has the effect of curing the disease. Where there is pain in the body, it is better to touch the corresponding part of the iron man. In 2010, the historical buildings in the world were included in the World Cultural Heritage, including the Zhongyue Temple and Shaolin Temple and a total of eight other historical buildings.