Qingyang Palace – Chengdu
Qingyang Palace
If Wenshu Monastery is Chengdu’s foremost treasure house of Buddhist culture, then Qingyang Palace is its Taoist counterpart. With its distinct Taoist atmosphere, Qingyang Palace (or Temple) has become the first choice of many tourists to Sichuan for appreciating the singularities of Taoist architecture and thought.
Qingyang Palace was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a time of flourishing Taoist influence. Later, after the palace had fallen into disrepair, much of the complex, including Sanqing Hall, Doulao Hall, Hunyuan Palace, the Eight Trigrams Pavilion, and Wuji Palace, were restored in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) using Qing architectural influences, resulting in a blended mix of styles throughout the palace complex.
On top of the noteworthy architecture, you can also find many important Taoist cultural relics on display, such as the wooden engraving of the Dao Zang Ji Yao (Abstract of Collected Taoist Scriptures) and the stone sculpture of Patriarch Lu Dongbin, who was one of the Taoist Immortals in Chinese history.
Located in the northwest section of Chengdu, today tourists come to Qingyang Temple not only for the Taoist architecture and the rare Taoist cultural relics, but also for a quiet place to relax. The Qingyang Temple complex is a popular spot for locals looking to drink tea, play mahjong, or just chat casually and enjoy the weather.
Related tours
Travel far from the city's crowds and into the unspoiled wilderness of Mount Siguniang on this 5 day photography lovers tour. Relax yourself in the Sichuan blue sky with ominous clouds, snow cover peaks and the sound of rushing waterfalls.
Journey from Urumqi to Shanghai on this 15-day China Silk Road and Yangtze Cruise tour. Explore Turpan, Dunhuang, Lanzhou, and Xi’an, then sail through the Three Gorges to Yichang before finishing in modern Shanghai.
This 12-day Yunnan winter tour explores Kunming, Jianshui, Yuanyang, Dali, and Lijiang. See the UNESCO-listed Yuanyang Rice Terraces at sunrise, visit ancient towns, meet local ethnic groups in village markets, and enjoy the dramatic scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge.
A classic trip to Leshan and Mount Emei only takes 2 days. Leshan Grand Buddha is the biggest sitting Buddha in the world and Mount Emei is one of the four Buddhist Mountains in China.