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Baiyunguan
Situated in the West City District, Baiyunguan Temple(the White Cloud Taoist Temple) formally reopened in 1984 for the first time since 1949. It is the largest and the only one of its kind open to the public.
Taoism, a religion native to China, has a history of 1,800 years. It originated from shamanism and the various practices intended to ensure immortality in the Qin (221-207 BC) and Western Han (206 BC-AD 24) dynasties. Zhang Daoling is credited with |
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founding the religion of Taoism on Heming Mountain (in Dayi County, Sichuan Province) during the reign of Emperor Shundi (126-144).
Laozi, the ancient Chinese philosopher, is the chief deity of Taoism and is honoured as Taishanglaojun (Lord the Most High). Taoists believe that Tao (the Way), Laozi’s school of thought, is all-embracing and external, conceiving and governing everything, including the sky and the earth. They also believe they can attain longevity and become one with the Tao through special practices of meditation.
The White Cloud Taoist Temple is the chief temple of the Quanzhen Taoist sect and the center of the Longmen sub-sect. According to historical records, Emperor Xuanzong (7l2-756) of the Tang Dynasty built a temple called Tianchangguan to enshrine a stone statue of Laozi. The Tianchangguan was burned down in 1202, but was rebuilt from 1203 to 1216 and renamed Taiji Palace. It was later damaged during war.
Emperor Genghis Khan (1206-1227) of the Yuan Dynasty ordered the temple rebuilt and invited Qiu Changchun, founder of the Longmen sub-sect under the Quanzhen sect, to live there in 1224. Qiu died in 1227 and the Emperor renamed the temple Changchun Palace in his memory.
The temple got its present name in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was damaged twice by war and fire, and rebuilt and repaired several times. Today it is more or less the same as it was after renovation in 1706.
Before 1949, a large fair was held in the temple during the first 20 days of the first lunar month. People came from far away to venerate the enshrined statues, do business and enjoy themselves.
Since liberation, the People’s Government has had a policy of freedom of religion, and it has protected cultural relics and historical sites. Twice, in 1956 and 1981, the government has allocated large sums of money to renovate the temple. During the ‘cultural revolution’, it was preserved intact, thanks to an army unit stationed here.
Related Information:
- Beijing Tourist Attractions
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